


Fairytales for Good Children

by discordiansamba



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:29:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8833984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/discordiansamba/pseuds/discordiansamba
Summary: A collection of five fairy tale themed oneshot AUs, set in the DCMK verse.





	1. Ashes and Glass Slippers

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea that I've been tinkering around with for awhile now, for a collection of oneshot stories that all revolve around a fairy tale theme. I did consider publishing these in my other oneshot collection, The Beika Periodicals, but I decided it would be better to post the four of them in their own little set, so we've ended up with this new collection here, Fairytales for Good Children!
> 
> There will be four stories in total, at least that I have planned now. If something else catches my interest, I might write another, but I'd also avoid writing the same couple twice for this sort of thing. Somehow or another, we're starting off with a Kaito/Aoko fic, that of course, draws it's inspiration from Cinderella. These of course, won't be straight up retellings of preexisting fairy tales, but will have their own flair to them. None of them will be dark retellings though, let's get that right out of the way, because god is there nothing more boring and pretentious than dark fairy tale retellings.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Feel free to leave your thoughts at the end of the show!

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a small village surrounding the royal palace, there was a young girl by the name of Nakamori Aoko. Although she was born to a loving mother, she lost her early on in life to a great fire, only faint memories of her words of kindness left behind. Although her father was equally loving and they lived in happiness, in spite of not having much to their name, only a few years passed before he too, left to join his wife, leaving her behind. Although in despair from the loss of her father, Aoko resolved that she would continue to live on strongly- even though she found herself alone in the world without even so much as a single cent to her name.

Knowing that she needed to do something to change her fate, Aoko set out to look for work, and found herself employ at a local inn- a rather cheap, somewhat rundown one that catered to those passing through, those not wanting to be found, and those without all that much to their name themselves. Although she was given a roof over her head, and food to eat, the convenience of such a thing was offset by the fact that her wages were low, the food wasn't much more than leftover scraps from the kitchen, and the room she was given was cold and drafty. Always a spirited girl, Aoko did not let this deter her- vowing to work hard and move forward in life, to better things than this.

It was her job to clean the inn from top to bottom, cleaning up the rooms after patrons left, and the inn's tavern once it closed in the morning. It was rather dirty work, and it wasn't long before she found herself without a single thing to wear that hadn't been stained by ashes and soot alike. However, as it was also the _only_ place that had room and board she could find that was willing to hire a young girl with no experience of any kind, she endured it. Her spirit wouldn't yield to something like this. It wasn't all terrible- there were a fair number of kind patrons, those who slipped her the occasional bronze piece extra, during the times she helped out in the tavern, and those who couldn't spare her anymore than a kind word, but didn't hesitate to do so.

Some, she came to know rather well over time. The somewhat mysterious woman, with her long black hair which almost gleamed red under the right light, who never really quite seemed to be the type to come to a place like this. She had never actually gotten her name before, and only knew that she was rather generous with her tips, and always seemed to leave with a different man each time- who after awhile, Aoko began to vaguely notice never actually seemed to come back. She never quite missed them- they weren't really a decent sort of folk, at the end of the day, but she couldn't help but wonder.

She had heard some rumors that she was a witch- and she wasn't sure if she quite believed them or not. Still, she didn't think she was overall a bad person.

The second couldn't be more different from the first- and his was a name she did come to know. Kaito, he introduced himself as, the very first time they had met. With a flash of his hand, he produced a white rose, a cheeky smile on his face as he saw how it clearly pleased her. He was magician, she came to learn, who had come to this country in hopes of gaining employ at the king's castle- but failing that, a lord's manor would do for the time being. Sometimes he was there, and sometimes he wasn't- he told her that on occasion, he traveled to other places, in hopes of polishing his skills more.

There was always something of a secret gleam to his eyes whenever he said that, that Aoko couldn't help but wonder at. Still, in spite of the fact that there were times where he did nothing but annoy her, she found herself often enjoying his company, and feeling almost regretful when it ended.

She was never much of one to dream all that grand- a better job, better food, and a better roof over her head would be a great start. She had heard rumors that the prince of their kingdom, who was said to be handsome and charming, was looking for a woman to marry- but that had nothing to do with her. Certainly, she wished to see the prince at least once- mostly because she wanted to see if he _really_ was as charming as the rumors made him out to be. Rumors _always_ tended to exaggerate, after all, so she couldn't help but be curious if they were really true or not. While that interested her, her interest didn't go that much beyond that- besides, she was all but certain that a peasant girl and a prince would make a rather poor match.

When she considered what kind of man it was that she would be interested in, her thoughts inevitably drifted towards _Kaito_. She wasn't quite sure what to make of _that_ , either.

And so, on the day that a royal masquerade ball was announced, one to which every eligible woman in the kingdom, rich or poor, noble or common, was invited to, her interest didn't so much lie at the prospect of potentially marrying the prince. It was the temptation of the night off, and the desire to, for once in her life, see the inside of the palace that glittered so brightly above her village, that piqued her interest. When she approached her employer about it, however, it would seem that he had different ideas.

"The night of the ball?" The man scoffed, almost looking down at her in a way that Aoko had to bite her tongue to keep herself from giving him a tongue lashing in return. She couldn't afford to be fired. "I can hardly let you go on that night, Aoko! All the eligible woman in the kingdom means that all the eligible men in the kingdom- or a certain fraction of them, at the very least, will be right _here_ , drowning their sorrows in booze. I can't _possibly_ afford to lose once of my most reliable staff members on what is doubtlessly going to be such a busy night."

"But _all_ the eligible women in the land are invited." Aoko repeated. "Aoko included, as it were."

"True, true." The man admitted, nodding his head. "But do you even have anything to wear to such an affair? You'd only be laughed at if you showed up in anything that you own, and I doubt any of the dress shops will have anything in your budget." At the way she narrowed her eyes at his words, barely holding back a biting remark that it was the fault of _his_ cheap pay she couldn't, he gave her a placid smile, placing a hand on her shoulder that half made her want to break it. "I'll even pay you a bit extra that night. One silver piece, in addition to your usual two bronze pieces, for serving on the busiest night of the year. Not a bad deal, is it?"

"If the only problem is a fitting dress, Aoko can solve that matter herself!" Aoko declared, this time putting her foot down. True, sewing wasn't quite her specialty, but she was certain she could manage to make something serviceable by then. "You have plenty of other employees who can help you on that night, you needn't have any cause for Aoko's services on top of them."

"Very well, I suppose you're right." The man said after a moment. "If you can come up with a proper dress by the day of the ball, I'll give you that night off. But that's _only_ if you can manage it."

There was something in his tone that she didn't like- and sure enough, after painstakingly working to sew together a dress herself, she returned to her small room to discover that it had been torn and ripped, unfitting for even a ball hosted at the very dead end inn that she found herself working in. She had long since suspected that the owner disliked her for some reason- perhaps something to do with her father, she couldn't help but wonder, given the gleam in his eyes whenever he spoke of the man. Knowing that there was no way that she could make a new one by the time of the ball, Aoko wondered if she was going to have to admit defeat.

Whatever his issues with her were, she really _couldn't_ afford to lose the job- and besides, maybe he was right. A peasant girl who worked in a rundown inn, always covered in soot, had no place attending a ball held in the glittering castle that loomed above, held by a prince who was known far and wide for how charming he was. She would only look like a joke in comparison to everyone else there, with her unkempt hair, her childish way of speaking, and her complete lack of knowledge of how high society manners worked in the first place. Perhaps it was better to stay where she was, and get that silver piece for working on such a night- even though she was certain that it wouldn't take long for the kingdom's drunken, lowbrow men to sink to unbearable levels.

"Are you throwing that out?"

The voice almost startled her, and she turned on her heel, still cradling the ruined dress in her arms. She wasn't sure what she was thinking there either- the fabric was mere curtain fabric, of the cheapest kind, and the design was that of an amateur who had _clearly_ never made something like this before. It was the perfect dress for a perfectly plain peasant girl, but not something suited to a grand ball, even had it not been ruined.

"Y-yes, Aoko is." Slowly nodding her head, Aoko clutched the ruined dress closer to her chest, only wondering for a moment what the mysterious beauty was doing back here. For a moment, she could only find herself thinking that she would have no problem with wooing a prince, should she choose to. "It's been ruined, after all, there's not much that Aoko can do to fix it in time for the ball."

"You have an interest in the ball?" The woman asked, reaching out a hand and touching the fabric, without waiting for permission to do so, an almost assessing look on her face. "Or is it the _prince_ you're interested in, Nakamori-san?"

"Only the ball, miss." Aoko said slowly, frowning a little at the studious way the woman looked at the remains of her rather shoddy work. "Aoko has always wanted to see the inside of the palace. Will you be attending?"

"I've no interest in marriage, least of all to a _prince_. Too much trouble to be found there." Releasing the fabric, the woman gazed up at her, a note of mischief seeming to twinkle in her eyes, concealing the brief hint of disgruntlement mention of the prince had flashing through them. "But I believe that I can be of help to you, Nakamori-san. I can provide you not only with a stunning dress, but shoes and accessories to match. All you need to do in return is provide me with what I need to make them."

"Are you a dressmaker?" Aoko blinked. "Aoko must apologize, for even though your offer is generous, she doesn't have all that much money to her name. She used a good bit of it to buy this fabric as it was."

"Fear not, you need no money to gather what I need." The woman told her. "You may call me Koizumi Akako. Allow me to assist you, and not only will I give you that which you need to attend the ball, I'll also see to it that your employer never notices that you're gone to begin with."

"...But what for?" Aoko asked, blinking a little. If she wasn't a dressmaker, then, well... there were those things that she had heard said of her before. Perhaps there was some merit to them after all. "Aoko has... heard _rumors_ about you before, Koizumi-san. Though she doesn't mean to be rude."

"Fear not, your apprehension is rather understandable." A rather coy smile crossed Akako's lips, carefully studying the young girl before her. "I may be a witch indeed, Nakamori-san, but consider me not a villain for it. My interests may not perhaps be entirely altruistic, for a witch does nothing for free- but not everything a witch does is so devious that it will make those around her balk at her actions."

"What is it that you want, precisely?" Aoko asked, a slight frown on her face. In truth, she did not really think that Akako was a bad person, not at her core- and yet she couldn't help but be somewhat apprehensive, as wonderful as her offer sounded.

"I cannot say, not exactly." Akako admitted after a moment, gaze once more falling towards Aoko's ruined dress, taking it in with slightly narrowed eyes. "Only that you could say that I have already in a sense, been paid for my assistance here. Quite well, in fact. So assist you I shall."

There was a long moment of pause there, as Aoko considered the witch's words, her hands tightly grasping her ruined dress as she did so. Some might call her naive, some might accuse her of being too trusting- but in this matter, Aoko slowly gave the witch a nod of her head, resolving herself to take this deal, come what may. She doubted that it would be the key to her happiness, as the witch seemed to claim- but a night off, wherein she could forget her troubles and dance the night away, in spite of her lowly status, in spite of how ill suited she was to the environment, sounded like something straight from heaven.

"Very well. Aoko will accept your offer, Koizumi-san. What is it that you need her to gather?"

There was a smile on the witch's face as she informed her what it was that she needed to gather for her. The ruined dress that she was going to throw out, which she passed over after a moment's thought. A scrap of cloth, the color of pale moonlight. Two shards of glass, taken from a mirror that had seen a thousand faces. A gleaming stone, worked smooth by the forces of nature itself. And lastly, a rose of a pure white color, untouched by taint and darkness. Although Aoko didn't quite understand how these items would allow the witch to craft her any of the things that she promised, she nevertheless set out to gather them.

The rose and the stone were the easiest of the bunch- and the smallest bit of asking around lead her to the shard of a mirror. A famous dress shop that had been around since her grandmother's time had recently broken one that had been with them since then, and was disposing of it- and so she took two shards from it, hoping that it had indeed seen a thousand faces over it's time. The scrap of cloth was the last thing she found, while going through her own trunk of possessions, nonetheless- a scrap of her mother's wedding dress, a small piece that had survived the fire that had claimed both it, and her mother alike.

Bundling it all up together on the morning of the ball, Aoko made her way towards where Akako indicated that she should leave them. Even with her heart pounding loudly in her chest- and she didn't know if it was from her nerves, or from anticipation, if not both- she still found her way there. Accepting the bundle with a hint of a smile, Akako removed it's contents, carefully looking them over, before nodding her head, apparently satisfied with what she had received.

"Everything will be ready come evening. Wait until then, and I will come for you."

With those words, the witch left her, leaving Aoko to wonder if she had really done the right thing. It was all she could do to put her faith into it- what was done was already done, and there was no turning back now. Besides, Akako had always been one of the people who had always been rather kind to her- and she believed that her truth lay within actions such as those, rather than some of the more unpleasant rumors swirling about her.

With that matter settled, she returned to the inn, and quickly busied herself with work to take her mind off of things. Already she could see the patrons in the tavern, coming in rather early for a drink, grumbling about that night's ball, muttering underneath their breaths that all the prince had to do was twitch his finger, and every woman in the country would come at his beck and call. Aoko wasn't quite sure that was true- doubtlessly there were any number of young woman attending the ball for motivations rather similar to her own.

Certainly, it would be nice to meet the prince, and perhaps dance with him- but it wasn't as if she _craved_ it, or anything. For that matter, she didn't actually know _how_ to dance.

Perhaps this really _wasn't_ a good idea at all- and for a moment, all she could think of was once again, how ill suited she would be to the palace. Even though she had scrubbed herself as clean as possible, making a rather earnest attempt to tame her bird's nest of hair, she still couldn't help but feel it wasn't _enough_. It was the sound of her name on familiar lips, and a familiar cheeky grin that broke her from her thoughts, and she couldn't help but feel a lightness to her heart to see that Kaito was apparently unaffected by the mood shared by the other customers.

"Will you be attending the masquerade ball, Aoko?" Kaito asked after she had taken his order.

Glancing around the tavern, Aoko clutched her serving tray to her chest, slowly shaking her head. "Aoko's not allowed to, at the very least. She has to work tonight. The boss won't have otherwise." It was best to let him think that- she didn't want to risk someone overhearing her. "Will you be attending? Aoko hears there are entertainers invited from all over the land."

"Not hardly. Couldn't manage to land a gig." Shaking his head, Kaito nevertheless frowned. "I think that old man works you too hard, Aoko. I'm sure you'd be the belle of the ball if you went."

The words were delivered in his usual teasing tone, so much so that she missed the rather sincere glitter in his eyes, and as a result, only scoffed at his words. "Don't tease Aoko like that, Kaito. You know such a thing isn't true. Besides, Aoko doesn't even know how to dance. She would only just make a fool out of herself in front of the whole kingdom."

"Well it's a good thing it's a masquerade ball, then." Kaito told her lightly. "Even if you were to mess up, nobody would have to know who you were. Besides, you've more of an excuse to not know how to dance that some of the noble women I've had the, ah... _good fortune_ to dance with."

"Oh, so you've danced with other women, have you?" Aoko asked, lifting her brows, a light chiding tone to her words. "Aoko always did think you had a bit of a flirt in you."

"Well, I'd rather not have to, really." Kaito confessed. "Rather than dance with an endless number of girls I barely know, I'd much rather have a dance with one girl I've come to know very well." With a quick smile, he produced another white rose, this time reaching up to tuck it up on her hair with a rather pleased smile. "There, see? You're ready for even the finest of balls."

"In _these_ rags? Aoko hardly thinks so." She observed, twitching her skirt. "Keep feeding Aoko lines like that, and perhaps she'll tell the chef that you've decided you don't need anything with sugar in it today. You're far too sweet as it is already."

Still, his words did serve to make her feel better, and more confident about the night to come. It would have been a comfort if Kaito would have been there with her- having someone she knew in such a grand place would have been a great relief. Besides, she had never had the chance to see Kaito put on one of his magic shows, outside of the simple parlor tricks that he showed her from time to time. She'd always somewhat wanted to.

Perhaps she would ask him about it in the future. Provided that she _could_ find some time off, she was sure he would be receptive to the idea.

When the time came, Aoko nevertheless once more felt the sound of her heart hammering inside of her chest. This time, however, it was more with anticipation than anything else, and as the first few stars began to twinkle in the night sky above, Akako arrived, carrying with her a bundle wrapped in cloth. As she unwrapped it, revealing what was contained within, Aoko nearly felt her breath catching in her throat for the dress itself glittered underneath the moonlight like the very color of it. The once simple design of the dress that she had clumsily sewn herself had transformed into something magnificent.

In a corner, hidden from view, Akako helped her into it, watching with some amusement as Aoko spun around in place, one hand clutching at the fabric of her skirt. It glittered and gleamed, and altogether made her feel like something of a different person- a feeling which became even more prominent as she was presented with the other items that the bundle contained. A glistening necklace of a pale blue color, a white mask with a beautiful rose motif, and a pair of slippers that fit her feet rather perfectly, translucent under the pale moon.

"It's lovely." Aoko said softly, spinning around once more, finding the heels far easier to move in than she could have imagined. Perhaps that too, was magic. "Aoko doesn't know how she can ever thank you for this, Koizumi-san."

"No need. As I've mentioned, I've already been paid quite well in regards to this matter." Akako said simply, taking her by the hand, carefully leading her out the back of the inn. With a snap of her fingers, the moonlight itself seemed to glimmer and twist, forming a carriage with a color so beautiful, it nearly made Aoko cry, complete with a carriage driver and horses clad equally so in white. "Now then. I believe you have a ball to attend, Nakamori-san. Be off with you, before that wretch of a man comes looking for you."

"Ah... yes." Slowly nodding her head, half wondering if she should back out from this again- this would be her final chance to do so. Even clad in the glistening dress and shimmering jewels, her face partially obscured by a mask, she nevertheless still couldn't help but worry that she wasn't going to fool anyone. "Thank you once again, Koizumi-san."

"Think nothing of it." Akako said simply. "Only return here by the time the clock strikes twelve, otherwise everything will return to what it once was."

With that said, she took in and let out a deep breath, and boarded her carriage. Come what may, she would finally get to experience a night within the gleaming walls of the castle- a fantastic dream that was all but out of her reach ordinarily, something she dared not even think on most often. It would only be one night, to be sure- but it would be a night that would remain forever within her memories, come what may in the future.

Inside the palace was even more grand than she could have ever imagined. So caught up was she in marveling over it, she barely took care to pay attention to where she was going- until the sound of another young lady caused her to start, sheepishly turning her gaze back down towards the floor. Just as she thought, even dressed up as she was, she really didn't fit in this kind of place.

Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back.

"And here I thought you said that you weren't coming."

It was a voice that she knew, and one that made her turn on her heel, letting out a small gasp of shock. Even behind his mask, and even though he was far more dressed up than usual- his pure white tailcoat looked far better on him than she could have ever imagined- she knew at once who the young man who had called out to her was. It was in his voice, in the cheeky grin that he gave her, as he carefully took her hand, kneeling down to playfully give it a kiss.

It made her heart flutter, even if she knew he was only teasing her.

"Aoko thought you said that you weren't coming yourself." Aoko said lightly, somehow regaining her composure in the face of someone that she knew.

"I wasn't, until I decided it might be fun to sneak in. They've always good food at these sorts of affairs." Kaito remarked, an easy grin on his face. "And a good thing I decided to as well. What say we have a dance, Aoko? You needn't worry about knowing how."

"Aoko is certain there are prettier ladies that you would prefer to dance with." Aoko mumbled, wondering when it was that he planned on letting go of her hand. Not that she _minded_ , really.

"Hardly." Kaito was quick to reassure her, carefully taking his other hand in his own, leading her towards the ballroom floor, where other dancers were already in full swing. "There's no one here I would rather dance with than you, Aoko. Besides, someone needs to teach you the basics, since you're so worried about it."

"Well, if you're making such a generous offer, then I suppose Aoko can't entirely refuse!" Aoko said after a moment, giving him a bright smile as she glanced up towards him. Allowing herself to be lead into place, she allowed him to show her how to stand, carefully instructing her on what to do next. Everything would be just fine if she followed his lead, he promised her, and once again, she found herself putting faith into those words.

If she had any desire to dance with the prince before this, dancing with Kaito all but caused them to fade from her mind. This was far better than dancing with some stranger that she didn't even know- and in the ballroom filled with masked faces, she doubted she would know which one was the prince to begin with anyways. Although she had been so nervous at the start of the night, she felt all of that washing away, allowing herself to simply enjoy herself, having a grand night that she could have never even dreamed of.

She was so glad that she had gathered the nerve to come here after all. It was a night that would remain forever within her memories indeed.

So wrapped up was she, that she barely noticed time passing- not until she glanced up at the clock, and noticed that it was nearly midnight. Faintly recalling the witch's words, she felt her heart clench in her chest, slowing to a halt, giving Kaito a rather apologetic look. With a word of apology on her lips, informing him regretfully that she had to go back now, she didn't allow him to protest this, and quickly made her way back down towards the carriage that she had left behind.

Casting a glance up towards the castle that she was leaving behind, she noticed that it was drawing closer and closer to midnight- she had to hurry and leave. In so much of a hurry as she was, she didn't even have time to stop when one of her glass slippers came off, the heel catching in a crevice in the stone steps. It didn't really matter, she supposed- in the end, it would vanish along with the rest of her wonderful attire.

Barely making it back to the inn just before the final stroke of midnight, Aoko found Akako waiting there for her, a bundle in her arms that she knew were her own, ash covered clothes. Although she carried regrets in her heart, changing out of the wonderful dress that she had been given, watching it all but fade away, back into the moonlight, at the same time, she still felt as if this was more or less how things should have been.

When Akako cooly observed that she was missing a shoe, Aoko apologized, and told her that she had left it behind in her haste. It wouldn't be a problem, Akako had told her, something of a mischievous look on her face.

And so, Aoko thought that the wondrous night was put behind her. She hadn't managed to sneak a glimpse at the prince in the end- but she had been able to marvel at the palace, eat foods that she never would be able to usually, and had a rather splendid time with Kaito. As she slipped back into the inn, it was as if she had never left it- nobody seemed to have noticed that she had wandered off for several hours.

Clutching the scarp of fabric that her dress had been returned to close to her chest, she vowed that she would never forget that night, only to pause and remember that she hadn't thought to ask Kaito about being able to see one of his magic shows.

Well, he would doubtlessly come again- and she could ask him then.

So much so was she convinced that last night's events were now put behind her, that she thought nothing of the rumors that began to spread the following morning. That the prince had been so enchanted by one girl in particular, he hadn't danced with anyone else. Nor did she even think anything of the fact that the mysterious princess had left behind one of her shoes in her hurry to leave- perhaps there were slightly clumsy girls even amongst princesses.

She, after all, had not met the prince. Only a simple would-be court magician.

Which is why she certainly didn't understand when two messengers from the royal palace arrived for her late that evening, carrying with them a glass slipper that she recognized as her own. The other had returned to being a simple shard of glass, but this one had maintained it's shape, for reasons that she couldn't understand. Nor could she understand why these men were here, for her- this didn't just seem as if they were attempting to return a lost item to it's owner.

That was when it dawned to her that the rumors were about _her_.

Nevertheless, the shoe fit.

As she opened her mouth to protest, saying that she was quite flattered that the prince, for some reason that she couldn't quite understand, was interested in her, that she couldn't possibly marry someone she didn't even know, she was cut off by the sound of a voice that she had come to know quite well.

"And what if he _was_ someone that you know?"

And it was then that it dawned on her that the prince of the realm was none other than he.

"I can understand if you still want to say no, Aoko." Kaito told her, kneeling down in front of her. The noise in the tavern had stopped in it's tracks from the moment the royal messengers had arrived, echoing Aoko's own inability to speak in this moment, really. "I'm not going to force you to marry me. But do allow me to take you far away from a place like this, where someone like you doesn't fit at all."

Taking her hand, he planted a kiss on it, and this time, she knew it for what it was- a sincere action.

"W-why Aoko?" She stammered out after a moment. "Aoko isn't that pretty, or graceful, and she's a childish peasant on top of all of that. There must be hundreds of other girls out there for someone like you, Kaito."

"Nakamori Aoko is _also_ cheerful, earnest, and hardworking. Nor is there anything wrong with being childish, or a peasant. There's no law in place saying that I have to marry a noble or a princess." Kaito told her, slowly rising to his feet, taking both of her hands in his own, his usual cheeky grin on his face. "And no matter what she says, I, at least, think she's pretty."

"Even if I were presented with the most beautiful, most graceful, most mature princess in the world, in the end, she still wouldn't be a match for you." Kaito told her. "So what do you say, Aoko? Will you come with me? Away from this place? I'm certain," he said, turning a sharp eye towards the inn's owner, his expression conveying a silent warning in it, that perhaps he ought to _reconsider_ his business practices, "...that the owner can find someone _else_ to exploit."

"But..." Opening up her mouth again to protest, Aoko glanced down at her own ash stained clothes, at her nails, which though sparkling clean last night, already had soot underneath them again.

"I chose _you_ , Aoko, because I fell in love with _you_." Kaito said lightly, his fingers twining with those of her own. "Have confidence in that, until you can manage it for yourself. Out of all the other girls in the kingdom, the one who caught my eye was you. The whole ball was thrown for you in the first place." He told her, watching as a faint look of understanding began to cross her face, as she slowly began to connect some of the dots. "Your father was a good friend of my own father, in the past. When I heard that he had died, I went looking for you, and found you here, working hard in spite of everything."

"I didn't mean to keep the truth from you, but I wanted to get to know you. I thought that if I thrust my heritage on you all at once, it might turn you away." Kaito told her. "The ball was for you, Aoko. It was always only ever for you. Trust me, it wasn't the gown that Koizumi created for you that has the whole kingdom whispering about the beautiful princess from last night. That was all you."

Almost not knowing what to say, Aoko slowly took in and let out a long breath, steadying her pounding heart. "Aoko doesn't know about _marriage_ just yet, Kaito," she began, giving him a small smile, before shifting her gaze, turning back towards the inn owner, sharply narrowing her eyes somewhat. Turning back towards Kaito, she looked back up at him once more. "...but if you need help at the palace, Aoko is looking for a different job, with room and board, as it were."

"I think I just _might_ be able to fit you in." Kaito told her, feeling a grin tug at the edge of his lips. "If not marriage, will you consider allowing me to court you instead?"

"Aoko will _consider_ it." She told him after a moment, her smile growing as she spoke. "But only if you'll let Aoko see one of your magic shows. She's been meaning to ask all this time."

"I will. Until you're sick of them."

"Oh, Aoko doesn't think that will _ever_ happen."


	2. Mermaid Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to everyone! Here's the next fairy tale for all those good kids out there, this one obviously based around the Little Mermaid. I had a lot of ideas for how I would carry this one out, but I think I really like the idea that I ended up with- although hopefully the implications of the ending are fairly obvious. I didn't want to bash anyone over the head with it, so hopefully nobody misunderstands what it's supposed to mean, ahahah. I hope everyone really enjoys this one- there's two more fairy tales remaining after this one!
> 
> Until next time!

Once, not very long ago at all, two people from two very different worlds met each other- as most stories go. One lived on the land, and had a smile that shone as bright as the sun. The other, deep in the ocean, her tail covered in scales glittering in sunlit waters. When the two first met each other, they were still very much children, as of yet unaware of the depth of the gap that separated them, only bemoaning the fact that it meant that they couldn't see each other quite as often.

It was by pure chance that the two of them crossed paths, in a way that they never should have. But perhaps it was fate that they did- for surely if the girl had not been there when she had been, the boy surely would have perished, claimed by the same sea that she called her home. And although she didn't understand much about humans, the one thing that she did know about them was the fact that they could not survive underwater- and although her mother had always warned her to stay away from them, her heart was too kind to allow one to perish before her very eyes, not when she had the power to do something about it.

She had never meant it to end up this way, not really. At first, she had only just lingered to make sure that he was really alright- it seemed as if he had swallowed a fair bit of water, and she couldn't help but linger around the docks, wondering if she had made it in time, wondering what she should do next. Just as she was thinking of contacting her mother, and seeing what she thought she should do, the young boy woke up, coughing out a great deal of water. She had started at first, of course- but in the end, she didn't vanish underneath the waves.

Naturally as two so divided between land and sea, they didn't understand each other at first. The girl had no words of her own, for the spoken word wasn't used deep in the ocean. And the boy couldn't hear her thoughts either, nor could she hear his, as he was simply a human, and not equipped to do such things. But still, the two of them managed to understand each other in a way that only children really can, managing to speak with each other even without the use of a shared language.

Every day that summer, he would come down to the water's edge to look for her, in the place that they had first met. And every day, she would return to that place, wondering if the young boy that she had rescued was looking for her. Although they didn't understand each others words, she came to learn his name nevertheless that first summer, a bright smile crossing his face like the very sun itself, as she seemed to understand. When she had written her name down for him in the sand, he had tilted his head, puzzling over it for a few minutes.

The name he ended up with wasn't quite right- but she guessed that perhaps her writing had ended up looking like a different word in his own language. She didn't really mind, though. It was something like a nickname, she thought to herself, splashing her tail happily after a moment of thought- which was something that made him smile all the more. Although the two of them lived in different worlds, a bond nevertheless formed between the two of them, refusing to let something that minor bother them.

That first summer was the shortest of them all- and when he came down to the water's edge one day with a forlorn look on his face, she didn't need to understand his words to know what he was saying. He would be leaving, she knew, just from the expression on his face, from the way he was acting- but at the very end of his words, she felt a surge of hope come through her, as she saw that smile on his face, and came to understand that he would one day come back. She wasn't sure when that day would be, but through gestures, he managed to convey that he would return after the cold season passed by.

Even with the distance put between them, the boy never forgot the mermaid that he had met at the beach. Even though anyone he told about it quickly laughed it off as a child's imagination, he knew what he had seen, what he had experienced, knew that the girl that he had managed to communicate with in spite of the barriers was real, and was waiting for him to return. When he did, he would have a surprise for her- he would definitely find a way that the two of them could communicate with one another, sharing words between them in a way that they hadn't been able to do so before. He had seen it sometimes before- people using their hands to communicate. Sign language, he had heard it been called. Surely if he could learn that, and teach it to her, the two of them could share words between them.

And so too, did the mermaid never forgot the human boy who had visited her day by day, who she had saved from a harsh fate. Sometimes she would head towards where the humans made their merry during the warm seasons, watching them carefully in secret. Humans _could_ swim, though in a rather odd manner, she knew that much- but the boy didn't know how to, not yet. Humans couldn't swim in the same way that her own people could, not graceful and elegant like those who called the sea their home, and if she tried to teach him in the way she had learned from her mother, she doubted it would work. But there were so many things that she wanted to show him- and for that, he needed to know how to swim. He could only go s far with that strange floating ring he had sometimes brought with him, after all.

Once the cold season had passed, and it started to get warmer again, the mermaid would wait by the water's edge where they had met ever day. In that secluded spot, where no one ever disturbed them, she waited for him to come, wondering each time if today was going to be the day. And as each day passed, with no sign of him coming, she did not lose heart- for she had faith in the promise that he had made to her.

And one day, as she trailed a hand lazily through the water that lapped around the rock she had perched on, she heard a voice that had her heart surging like the waves around her. With bright eyes, she looked up at once, a bright smile of her own crossing her face as she wasted no time diving back into the water, quickly swimming across the divide that separated the two of them. In the shallows of the water, which splashed up against the boy's chest, the two of them reunited.

And for many summers after that, the same thing continued, over and over. The boy taught the girl how to speak with her hands, with her body and overtime, she came to learn his language. The girl taught him how to swim, showing her as much as she could of her world. He would bring with him trinkets from the human world that had caught his eyes- figures of animals that the mermaid would never be able to see, hairpins that he couldn't help but feel looked better and better on her as the years went by, cute things that he felt a girl would like. Once, he bought her a ribbon, and felt his cheeks heat up like they never had before when he saw her wear it for the first time.

From out of the deep, she would bring him gifts as well- shells that she had seen many a human comb the beaches for, glittering pieces of things that came from the wreckage of old human ships. The amount of precious treasures that they received from each other seemed to double every summer in this fashion, to the point where sometimes, they didn't know where to put it all.

It wasn't long before the mermaid's mother caught wind of what she was doing- she knew that she couldn't possibly hide it from her forever. It was on the third summer that her mother confronted her, expressing worry about her meetings with the human. He was only a child now, to be sure, but what if he told an adult about her- and that adult listened? What if he one day grew to be no different than those humans who had caused the merfolk to sink deep into the waters in the first place, concealing their existence from humanity until they thought of them as nothing more than a myth. There was danger there, and it was for the best that they end this right now- but she refused to listen.

_"He's not like that!_ " She insisted, vehemently shaking her head, her tone laid bare for what it was within her mother's mind. There was no lying in one's thoughts, after all, and only through half-truths and evasions had she kept it from her for this long. But how could her mother say something like that? Surely, it was because she had never met him for herself, had never seen that smile cross his face. _"He'll never become someone like that, mom! He definitely won't!"_

She had been sulking when she met the boy next, she knew, having broken away from her mother, hiding from her so that she wouldn't have to hear another word of it. When he asked her what was wrong, she conveyed as best she could that her mother had found out about their meetings, and was mad about her. When she had told him what it was that her mother said to her, he head let out a loud laugh, a bright smile crossing her face as he assured her that would never be the case.

"That's impossible!" The boy had told her, a firm look in his eyes. "After all, one of these days, I'm going to become a detective, you know! That's someone who _catches_ bad guys! There's no way I'd become a bad guy myself!"

"You can tell your mother that if there's any bad folk who come around and try and do anything to any of you, you can leave it to me to make sure they get what's due to them!" He told her, pounding his chest, looking pleased as could be. In that moment, too, he vowed to never again speak a word about the mermaid that he had befriended here- not even to his own parents, nor anyone else he knew. "That's a promise!"

When she returned home that evening, she held fast to her words from before, refusing to back down in the face of her mother. In the end, she could do nothing but accept her daughter's resolve for what it was, and hope that nothing bad would come out of it. None of the legends told among their kind of merfolk who got involved with humans ever ended well for the merfolk in question.

Sometimes, they didn't even end well for the humans.

She could only hope that the only reason those legends were told was because the ones with peaceful endings just weren't interesting enough to be passed down from parent to child, generation after generation. It was all she could do to watch over her child in the meantime, and pray that this wouldn't lead her to an ending where she might never be able to see her again.

And so, their meetings continued. Every summer, without fail, the boy would come down to the water's edge, and call out for her. And every summer, without fail, the mermaid would come in response to his calls, the two of them enjoying spending time together. His mother's family had a villa on the beach close to here, he had told her when she was finally able to understand, and they came there for a month every summer. As he grew older, sometimes he would come to the beach by himself, seeking her out in hopes that she was there. Over time, she learned to keep her ears sharp and her eyes open for any signs that he was there. After awhile, they ended up arranging a set time of the day in which he would come to see her if he was here out of season, although sometimes the two of them still ended up missing each other. Still, that only made the times when they were able to see each other again all that more memorable.

He had asked her about it once before, if there was no way for her to leave the ocean, to come with him for a day. When she had told him no, she didn't think so, his smile had dampened. She had shown him so much of her own world over the years- all it took to expand what he could see was something as simple as scuba gear, expanding the time that he could spend with her underneath the ocean's waves. He might have once died in it, but he carried no fear with him from such a time- after all, in the end, such a event had lead to him meeting someone that he had come to hold very dear to his heart. He wanted to repay her for all of that, to show her his own world in kind if he could, show her what wonderful things lay within it- but it seemed that wasn't meant to be.

Sometimes he didn't fully understand how close she was to him, really. As time passed, certainly, some part of him noticed that something about her was seeming to change, he had always just assumed it was because she was growing up, just the same as he was. Even if his heart stirred when she looked back towards him, that smile of hers on her face as she pointed out something that she wanted to show him, and even if it stirred when she felt her hand taking his own, the scales that lined the back of her hand feeling cool to his touch, he didn't have any reason to think that what he felt for her was anything deeper than a strong bond of friendship.

Even if his mother would tease him sometimes about his 'secret beach girlfriend', he always just rolled his eyes, telling her that it wasn't like that, _seriously_! It didn't help that she would tell anyone who listened to her about her theory that her son had a mysterious girlfriend who lived at the beach they went to every summer, that he refused to introduce to her. It definitely didn't help that she always seemed to tell people he'd rather she not- like his friends, for example.

When he had vented about it to the mermaid one day, she had given him a small laugh in response. Grumbling about how it was no laughing matter, he couldn't keep the disgruntled expression on his face for very long, instead cracking a smile. With his legs dangling off the rock he had perched on, he discussed many things with her- things that he had seen, people that he had met, cases that he had worked on, all of which she listened to with great interest. When she interjected with questions about the friends that he had brought with him, he smiled, and had been more than happy to tell her about them.

There was a glitter in her eyes when he told her stories, no matter what they were about. He couldn't get enough of seeing it, and so he was always filled with stories to tell her, about anything and everything. His stories would grow and change over the years, involving new and different things. Stories about his friends, stories about his family, stories about his classmates. Stories about his cases too, eagerly relating to her the story of the very first case that he had solved. Her eyes practically glittered as he spoke of it, and he always made sure to tell her of them whenever he saw her next, purely to see that look in her eyes once more.

Not all of them, though. There were some cases that he didn't speak about, some cases he didn't give her the full details about. He didn't want her to worry about him, didn't want her to know just how dangerous the work he was involved in sometimes could be. She didn't have to know- he was the one telling her about the human world in the first place- if he didn't say anything, she wouldn't come to understand that the scar on his torso that appeared one summer wasn't from a simple bad fall. He didn't want to see her face twist with worry, didn't want to see that smile of hers dampen with sorrow- so he never told her about such things.

His one fear was what he would do if something happened to him- if one day, he couldn't come here anymore, would she understand?

Her mother, on the other hand, seemed to understand. He had met her all of once, and spoken to her only once- one late evening when he visited the water's edge, even though he knew that the mermaid was long gone for the night. She had been there, floating just a distance away, carefully watching the small beach there. When he'd spotted her, he had nearly thought her to be an illusion- until she closed the gap between them, the resemblance between the two of them making it crystal clear that they were mother and daughter. And unlike her daughter, who had at first not understood a single word he had said, she did seem to understand.

Her message was clear- that he was never, under any circumstances, to do anything that would bring harm or sorrow to her daughter. Even if she didn't have words with which to speak it, the ferocity contained within her gaze was more than enough to send the message home in a way that spoken words perhaps never could. If he ever did, she would never forgive him. Nor would she forgive him if she ever did anything to take her precious daughter away from her- a fear which had grown as she had watched her daughter's feelings for him grow.

A fear which grew all the more when she actually met the young man for the first time, and saw the look his eyes held in them as he spoke of her. As she came to understand that what they held in their hearts for each other was mutual. And as she came to understand what deeply rooted ill luck the young human man her foolish daughter had foolishly fallen in love with had, this too, gave credence to the fears that she had bee holding all this time.

Perhaps it would have been better if she had just let him drown.

But she didn't need to warn him- he would never do anything to hurt her daughter, never let anything hurt her, not on purpose. It wasn't just that he owed her his life, although that might have played into a part of it. But rather, it was something more than that- the strength of their bonds, forged across land and sea, between two worlds, that made him never want to see a look of sadness on her face. When his heart tightened in his chest from the mere thought of such a thing, he once again, didn't fully understand the depth of his own feelings, which perhaps were even deeper than the very ocean itself.

"I'll always come here, you know." It was unmistakably that encounter that had brought such words on, as the young man peered over towards the mermaid who had perched herself on the rock next to him, her scales glittering underneath the sunlight. It was a lovely sight- and for a moment, he almost felt as if he understood what it was that sent his heart racing upon seeing it. It was fleeting however, passing in the next instant. "To see you. Every year, till I'm an old man, and you're a shriveled up old fish."

She'd smiled at him, reaching over to lightly flick his forehead, before telling him through sign language that she already knew something that obvious, _idiot_. Perhaps it was simply because her cheeks did not redden like that of a human girl, but the flustered expression that crossed her face upon hearing his words was somehow something that he managed to miss.

Never once did she have any cause to doubt those words- stretching as far back as to the first time they had parted, back when she couldn't understand them. He would always come here, to see her, without fail- and she believed that nothing would ever change that. She always looked forward to it- for she had grown curious about the human world herself. Never enough to leave the ocean to go see it for herself- for she had been lying when she had told him there was no way for her to.

It certainly wasn't impossible, but her mother had long ago since told her that such a thing was a one way trip. A mermaid that left the sea to become human could never return to it, no matter how badly they wanted it. The cost, too, was higher than most were willing to pay. And even though her heart had come to quicken in her chest whenever she thought about the young man, it wasn't enough to make her leave the ocean, to leave her mother behind. He would come here, without fail, every year- and she had faith in that promise.

As long as she had that, she didn't need anything else.

Sometimes, there were days when he didn't come, to be sure- but they were days when he simply couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to. Sometimes it was the weather- when a typhoon blew through the area, or a powerful storm raged overheard, it was far too dangerous for the both of them, really. Sometimes, he would get sick, and come back a few days later, still not completely recovered, apologies on his lips. Once, he had been delayed by a case, which he had regaled with details about afterwards, and she had watched with rapt attention. He definitely shone the brightest when he was speaking of such things- not that she was ever able to admit that much.

Even before she could understand what he was saying, she had understood that he was someone who loved to talk. He was someone who was filled with stories- stories about the simple things, stories of daily life, things that were mundane to him, but not to one such as herself. Stories about his family, and stories about his friends, stories about everyone he knew, everyone he loved and cared for. And of course, stories about the cases that he worked on. She came to understand over the years that sometimes he would leave things out- came to understand that he didn't want him to worry about what he was doing. This too, she came to accept.

Every time he returned, she always couldn't wait to hear what it was that he had been doing in his absence- to hear everything that was going on. She treasured them- the stories that he told her and the things that he brought her- but most of all, the thing she treasured the most was the time spent with him. Some days, she never wanted it to end- even if they did spend some of said time bickering with each other. Still, at the end of the day, she understood that the two of them lived in different worlds- and just like she couldn't cross into his world without leaving her own behind, he could only visit hers- he could never really enter it.

That would be how it was forever. Or at least, that's how she had always thought it would be.

Then one day, he didn't come. Even though it sometimes happened, there was something about that day that caused her stomach to twist into a knot, a sense of dread washing over her like a wave. Something was wrong- it was as if she could sense that something was fundamentally wrong. As the days passed, and still there was no sign of him, she began to feel the knot in her stomach twist and tighten, wondering what could have happened. Why wasn't he coming? There was no way that he would have ever forgotten, so something must have been keeping him from coming to her.

It wasn't the weather- the almost brilliantly blue sky almost seemed to mock her fears. It could have been a sickness- but it was one that seemed to last far longer than the simple colds that he had caught in the past. Surely a case wouldn't take him this long to solve. And surely, surely, he would never forget.

Perhaps it was her fears that caused the truth to finally blossom inside her chest- the meaning of her feelings for him, the reality of their bond. They were friends, that much was to be sure- but there was something more beyond that, something which she never quite fully understood. But as she considered the possibility that something might have happened to him far out of her reach, the chance that she might never be able to see him again, she came to understand what that feeling was.

Love. She was in love with him. Perhaps from the very first time they had met, the very first time she had seen him smile, she had been in love with him.

It was a realization that the mermaid came to far too late. On the third week, she still found herself once more coming to the water's edge, watching, waiting. On that day, someone finally did appear- but it wasn't the person that she had been waiting for all this time. The salt water that she felt sting her eyes as she watched them gaze around the empty stretch of beach, seeing a face that had been described to her so many times that she knew him without ever having met him, she came to understand that he would never again appear before her.

Even as he heard the young man that she knew only from his stories call out the name he had always called her by, the mermaid didn't appear. It was only after he left, placing something down on the rock that the human boy had always liked to sit on, that she finally emerged, swimming to see what it was. It wasn't the site of the small ceramic dog figure that tugged at her heartstrings- but rather, the site of a dried red color that stained it, a color that she knew wasn't supposed to be there. Clutching it close to her chest, she knew that the salt water that she felt sting her eyes wasn't from the ocean, but was coming from her own eyes.

Somewhere, far out of her reach, that one with the smile like sunshine had vanished from the world. Not just her world- but his own world as well, that vast world that extended just out past her reach. A world that she would never hear him tell her anything about again. A world that now seemed so empty and pointless, without him there.

Though she was strong enough to swim against any current, no matter how strong, the mermaid still found herself sinking down deep into the ocean's waters, the tears streaming down her face the only thing hot as her surroundings began to get colder and colder. Her heart felt as if it were being crushed- to think that she had realized something like this so late, when the one that she felt such things for was no longer here- would no longer be here ever again.

And it was in that deep darkness that she heard a voice call out- a voice that her mother had once told her that she should never listen to if she should one day hear it. For if she did, she would never be able to return home. The voice of the witch that lived deep within the abyss, who silently ruled the vast seas, only calling out to the merfolk who lived there when there was a despair in their hearts deeper than the ocean itself. Her magic was powerful- but it came at a high cost, one that most weren't willing to pay.

_Do you want to see him again?_

Of course she did. But it wasn't as if the witch, in all of her power, could bring back the dead.

_Do you want to be with him?_

Of course she did. But he didn't exist in any world any longer- not in this one, nor in his own.

_What will you give me in exchange for your wish?_

If the witch really could bring him back somehow, she would give her anything. Even her own life, if she needed it. Anything that she asked for would be hers, and more.

_Then I will accept everything you offer, child. May fate be kinder to you in your next breath._

As cold as the mermaid had been, she felt warmth wash over her. As she slowly closed her eyes, her grip still tight on the small dog figure, she felt what could only be described as a sense of peace wash through her. In the deep darkness of the ocean, she felt herself uttering an apology to her mother, for somewhere in her heart, it would appear that what she had always feared had finally come true.

A mermaid who wanted to become human could never return to the sea.

There were no stories of mermaids and humans that had happy endings.

But there _were_ stories between humans that did.

But that's a story for another time.

_"Hey, Heiji, don't ya get the feelin' that we've been here before?"_


	3. Little Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her mother warned her not to trust the wolves who lived in the forest- but Sonoko was always a bit bad at listening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN- Happy New Year! Have a gay fairy tale. Taking a break from princess stories, to of course, write one based around my own personal favorite fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood. I don't actually know why it's my favorite, but so it is- probably because there's a lot one can do with the setting if one really wishes to.

Ever since she was young, her mother only ever had one thing to say about the forest that separated her home from that of her great uncles- to not trust the wolves that lived in it. They could be many things, she told her, but the one thing they are above all else, are liars. Those who listen to their words are often never seen again, either eaten or spirited away to some corner of the forest not reachable by mere humans.

And ever since she was young, Suzuki Sonoko had always doubted her mother's words. For as much as she insisted that there were wolves in the forest, she had never once seen one, even though she had gone through it many times before. She was pretty certain the only reason her mother ever told her that in the first place was because she wanted to make sure that she didn't stray from the path, trying to scare her into compliance by making up a silly tale about talking wolves.

Even at a young age, even as she believed in fairies, unicorns, and magical genies living in bottles that could grant almost any wish, she thought the notion of talking wolves was absurd. Animals simply didn't talk, and they certainly didn't try and trick people. Wolves were something to be feared, for sure, but not for their trickery, but rather for their large teeth and powerful claws. When she had told her friends the story that her mother had told her, one had laughed it off as nonsense, the same as she had, while the other clung to her shirt sleeve and made her promise to never go against her mother's words. But both of them claimed to have never heard such a story before- as she had thought, it was purely something of her mother's own invention.

Besides, there was no way her mother would send her out alone on repeated trips through the forest if there really _were_ wolves in there. Granted, she never understood why her mother always made her bring things to Uncle Jirokichi by herself in the first place, seeing as they had any number of servants who could do very much the same thing. _Nevermind_ the fact that her great uncle, advanced in age though he was, was very capable of coming and getting these things himself, and carrying them back himself- he was in very good health, all things considered. Perhaps it was all a scheme to get her to spend some time with him every now and again. She had long since stopped letting it bother her, and had instead resigned herself to making periodic trips through the forest.

"Now remember, Sonoko-"

"Yes, yes, I know, I know." Sonoko said with a long sigh, quirking a brow as she looked up at her mother. "Don't step off the path, and don't listen to any of the wolves in the forest." Planting her hands on her hips, she cast a skeptical look up at the woman, wondering what the point of this was anymore. "I'm not a little girl anymore, mom, I'm seventeen years old. You don't need to keep telling me pretend stories about talking wolves to convince me to be a good girl."

"Ah, yes well..." Trailing off a little as if she hadn't been expecting to be called out this way, her mother cleared her throat, a sharp look crossing her face. As always, she recovered remarkably well. "Do be sure to follow my instructions anyways, Sonoko, and always stay on the path. You might not be able to see them from there, but there are dangerous things living within the forest."

"Yes, yes, I'll take your word for it." Sonoko said simply. "If you're so worried about me though, why not send out one of the bodyguards with me?"

"Something like that won't be necessary so long as you heed my words." Her mother told her again, causing Sonoko to let out another long sigh- one that earned her a very stern look for her troubles. "Now, go on. Your uncle is expecting those books. And _no snacking_ on the bread until you get there. He told me last time that he never got the cookies that I sent with you."

"W-well, I wonder what happened to those..." Realizing that she had been caught, Sonoko averted her gaze from her mother, letting out a loud, awkward laugh. "W-well then, I'll be going now! I'll be home a little before sunset, as always!"

With a wave of her hand, Sonoko headed outside, taking in a breath of cool, fresh air. Shivering a little in the late autumn air, she quickly pulled up the hood of her red parka, feeling a little bit warmer once she had done so. The faster she set out, the faster she would get back home- she didn't mind going to Uncle Jirokichi's place if that phantom thief in white were involved, but frankly, she would rather not spend too much time with him on her own. It wasn't that they didn't get along- but quite honestly, he was someone that she could only tolerate in small doses.

Although if she could manage to be even _half_ as active as he was once she finally reached that age, she would probably become a little bit grateful for having such genes in her family.

The path that she took the forest was the usual one, passing through the shopping street. For a moment, she considered dropping in on Ran, to invite her come along with her, until she recalled that she already had plans today with Shinichi. With a sly grin on her face, Sonoko passed the detective agency by that her father worked in, hardly wanting to disturb the two unaware lovebirds. Probably nothing would come out of their time today, and were that the case, she was starting to debate if she should start taking some measures to push the two of them together a bit more.

Ran being unaware of Shinichi's feelings for her was fine, she supposed, but honestly- that Shinichi was supposed to be a _detective_! A rather sorry excuse for one, clearly, if he couldn't even detect the feelings that his own childhood friend had for him. There were limits to how dense one could be!

Perhaps a bit of her frustration rooted in the fact that she, as of yet, had not managed to find anyone like that in her life. Oh to be sure, she had a few crushes here and there, and goodness, was she ever fond of that mysterious Kaito Kid- but those feelings weren't _quite_ the same as love, and on some level, she fully realized this. It wasn't that she hadn't been looking, of course she had- but most of her dates ended in some kind of disaster, ranging from finding out that he was only interested in her because of her family's money, or someone being murdered.

Sometimes both. She blamed Shinichi.

At the very least, there were no bodies to be found on the path to Uncle Jirokichi's house. She would quite honestly appreciate if Shinichi didn't try and rub off whatever kind of corpse magnet powers he had on everyone else around him. He could quite honestly keep that sort of thing to himself. _Some people_ had other things to do than be caught up in murder investigations left and right.

For that matter, it wasn't all that often that she ran into other people on the path through the forest at all. So as she took her first steps out onto the path, with it's well worn brick, she couldn't help but be a little bit surprised as she saw someone pass her by. As strange an occasion as it was, she couldn't help but notice how rather handsome he was- it wasn't every day that one saw someone that attractive wandering around here. She surely would have noticed someone with dark skin and pale blonde hair, that looked to be his natural color, judging from his eyebrows, in town before. He carried a guitar case over one shoulder, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was a musician of some sort.

Still, there was something about the look in his eyes that she didn't quite like. Something a bit hard, something that made her bite her tongue and keep her head down as she passed by him, both rather uncharacteristic actions for her. The man himself, a stranger indeed, had no way of knowing that of course, and passed by her likewise without so much as a second glance.

She wasn't certain if the sight of a handsome man at the start of her trip was a sign of good fortune, or if the hard look in his eyes were an ill omen for today's trip. Perhaps it would be best to follow her mother's words to the letter today, and stick to the path as she had been told. She didn't always quite listen to her, of course- though she had never really strayed that far from the path, always keeping it in view. She was far more worried about losing her way than she was about the threat of likely nonexistent talking wolves.

With birds twittering overhead, making a pleasant sound in spite of the approaching winter, any lingering concerns she might have had about the stranger slowly disappeared as she wound her way through the forest, carefully following the well worn brick path. The chill of morning soon gave way to a slightly warmer afternoon, enough so that she lowered the hood of her red parka, taking in a deep breath of air. If there was one thing that she liked about being made to do this, it was how fresh the air was here- even though she wasn't that far from the city in which she lived. It was always pleasant here- to the point where she couldn't even imagine what the dangerous creatures her mother spoke of were.

"Oh? Something smells rather good."

It must have been quite the day, to run into two strangers on her way to her great uncle's place, Sonoko though, turning on her heel to see who it was that called out to her. Not only that, but two rather handsome people in a row. This stranger had a different sort of attractiveness to them than the one she had seen just as entered, with short, black hair, a hat worn low over their brow, and features that made it hard to determine their gender. What was easy to tell was the fact that her heart fluttered at the sight of them, mentally thanking the powers that be for her good luck today.

"That would probably be the bread." Sonoko said, lifting up her basket with a quick smile. This one was far easier to talk to than the blonde man she from earlier, not having that hard look in their eyes. "I'm afraid that I can't share any though. My mother would get angry at me if I didn't properly bring it to my uncle this time."

"Well, we can't have that." With a quick grin crossing their features, they took a step forward. "Your uncle lives in this forest? He must live in the large manor towards it's end then, if I'm not mistaken."

"Ah, yes, he does." Sonoko said, nodding her head. "I'm Suzuki Sonoko. What's your name? I've never seen you here before, but from the sound of it, you seem pretty familiar with the forest."

"Well of course. I make my home here. As for the matter of my name, it's Masumi. Sera Masumi." The one named Sera told her, her smile only growing as she stuck out her hand. "And for the record, I'm a girl."

"Ah, I see." Blinking a little, half wondering what had brought that on- perhaps that sort of mistake was often made about them, Sonoko nevertheless took the girl's hand, giving it a firm shake. "It's nice to meet you, Sera-san! But you live here? I didn't know that anyone else other than my uncle did."

"There's a few people living here. Or at the very least, there _used_ to be." Sera told her. "There were more in the past, but now, it's mostly my mother and I. I have two older brothers, but they've since left."

"Heh, is that so?" Sonoko blinked, tilting her head. "I've come through this forest many times since I was a child, but I never noticed. Well, I never strayed very far from the path, though."

"We do live quite a ways off of the path. But it's easy to find your way around when you've grown up here." Sera told her. "Ah, but I shouldn't keep you for very long if you've got somewhere to be. Forgive me for calling out to you like this- I've noticed you on this path before, and I thought that one day I should speak with you when I had the chance."

"A-ah, is that so?" Feeling her cheeks heat up in spite of herself, Sonoko let out a nervous laugh. Nobody had ever given her that sort of line before- it managed to make her heart race. She almost didn't want to part from this person, but at the same time, she knew that she couldn't stay. "Then, maybe I'll see you some other time, if that's the case, Sera-san."

"Nothing would please me more." Sera told her. "Have a safe trip, Suzuki-san."

"Just Sonoko is fine!" Sonoko said quickly, briefly wondering what brought that on. "You don't need to be so formal with me. We're the same age, after all, from the looks of things."

"That's true!" With a quick nod, Sera's smile grew all the brighter. "Then, it's Sonoko-chan, right? You can call me Sera-chan, if you want. Everyone used to call me that when I was younger."

"Ah, yes!" With a quick nod of her head, Sonoko felt her cheeks turn a shade deeper. "Sera-chan! I'll remember it!"

With those words, the two of them parted ways. She must have left quite the deep impression on her, for when Sonoko finally arrived at her uncle's house, he asked her in a somewhat concerned tone if she had a fever. Rather than tell him about the stranger that she had spoken with in the forest, her mother's words briefly echoing in her head, knowing that she would never hear the end of it if she heard that she had spoken to anyone in the forest, even if they _weren't_ a wolf, she laughed her flustered cheeks off as due to the weather.

Well, if someone like Sera was a wolf, perhaps she wouldn't mind letting her eat her up. Such a thought only deepened her blush- what was she even thinking?

It wasn't the last time that she ran into Sera either. Almost as if she were intent on keeping her word, the very next time Sonoko made her way through the forest to visit her uncle, she was there. They spoke a bit on the way, having a rather pleasant chat, before Sera excused herself, parting ways with Sonoko. There were many times after that as well, and before she knew it, Sonoko began to look forward to the times when her mother asked her to go visit her great uncle.

As the weather turned worse outside, as winter descended upon him, she replaced her red parka with a heavier red coat, keeping it's warm hood drawn around her head. Sera never seemed all that bothered by the winter winds herself, and when Sonoko had asked her about it, she had just laughed it off, claiming that it was because of her warm personality, of course.

It wasn't only just Sera that she saw more often either- the young man with the guitar case crossed paths with her many times, always with the same hard look in his eyes. After awhile, Sonoko began to slowly recognize it as frustration- perhaps his career as a musician wasn't going well. He, she never called out to, never so much as got his name.

She couldn't help but notice that on days in which she met him inside of the forest itself, she didn't meet Sera. It was only on days when she either didn't run into him, or when he was just leaving, that she crossed paths with her new friend- and the person who made her heart leap in her chest, singing to her whispers that perhaps there was something good to come in the future.

Once, after thinking about it long and hard, Sera invited Sonoko to her own home, for a spot of tea, as she was returning home from her uncle's house. Even in the fading sunlight, she guided her carefully to a rather charming little house in the forest, one she would have never been able to find on her own, judging by all the twists and turns that they had taken to get there. It was almost as if they didn't want to be found, and that was the very same feeling that she got when she met Sera's mother- a feeling that she wasn't wanted here. Still, after a few minutes, the feeling seemed to relent.

In her mother, she could see where Sera got her good looks from. The coloring, she assumed, must have been from her father. She never did ask about him- when Sera spoke of her family, she only ever mentioned her mother, or her two older brothers, never her father. If there was one thing that dealing with high society had told her, it was when _not_ to ask certain questions.

Even in the darkness, with no moon to light their path back, only the stars faintly glimmering overhead through the gaps in the trees, Sera lead Sonoko back to the path once the tea had been finished. Her mother was quite angry at her for coming back home far later than she had told her she would, and she had made Ran lie for her sake, claiming that she had stopped by her place. When she asked why later, Sonoko only told her that she had been with someone that had been filling her thoughts lately- and with an understanding look, she quickly told her that she would cover for her whenever she needed.

The next time she headed to her uncle's house, she was stopped by the very one she had been avoiding speaking with.

"You come through this forest quite a bit, miss."

"Well, my uncle does live towards the end of it." Sonoko told him, giving him a small smile. It was better to not be rude. "My mother is always having me bring things out to him. Besides, I could say the same for you, mister. I see you here a lot these days. Do you live on the other side?"

"Something like that, yes." The young man told her after a moment, a considering look on his face. "Have you ever met anyone else here, on this path?"

"No." She didn't know why she withheld the truth, especially when it seemed to be an innocent enough question on the surface. Something in the back of her mind recalled the hard look in his eyes, and silenced her. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." The young man said, giving her a smile which complimented his handsome face rather well- even as it sent a slight chill down her spine. "I was only just curious. Some relatives of an old friend of mine were supposed to live in this forest, but I can never manage to find them."

"Is that so?" Sonoko asked, keeping her tone level. "Well, I hope that you can find them someday. I never really leave the path though, so I'm afraid I can't really help you. Well then, I have to get going."

With a curt bow, Sonoko quickly turned on her heel, trying not to look too much like she was hurrying down the path, trying to get away from him as quickly as possible. He was certainly handsome- but there was something about them that she didn't quite trust. What that was, she couldn't quite say. It was just something that was carried within his smile, within his eyes, that gave her a bad feeling.

In the back of her mind, her mother's warning bubbled to the surface once more.

She didn't see Sera on that day, nor during the next few times that she visited. Just when she was starting to worry that she might never see her again, she once more crossed paths with her. She had been away for awhile, she had told her, although there was a slightly strained expression on her face as she spoke. At first, Sonoko almost wanted to leave it at that, to let it go, but...

"I ran into a strange man the other day, at the entrance to the forest." Sonoko said after a moment. "He claimed that the family of an old friend of his lived here. Ah, I didn't say anything about you or your mother, though." She wasn't quite sure what had prompted her to add that afterthought on, but seeing the relief that washed over Sera's face told her it was the right choice.

"You should be careful of him if you meet him again, Sonoko." Sera told her, a grave expression in her eyes. "That man is a hunter. It's best to avoid him, if you can."

"Is what he said true?" Sonoko asked. There were more questions that lingered in her mind, chief among them being the question of what it was, exactly, that the young man was hunting. "About knowing one of your brothers?"

It was the concern in her voice that eventually made Sera speak again, nodding her head. "His name is Amuro Tooru, I believe. I believe he was once acquainted with my eldest brother, but I wouldn't have called them _friends_. They used to work together, that's all. I think he's under the impression that my eldest brother betrayed him at some point, though I don't know what it could be that he wants from us. He's the one who betrayed my eldest brother himself."

"Betrayed?" Sonoko asked, blinking slightly. "What do you mean by that, Sera-chan? Did something happen?"

"Ah... no, it's nothing." Sera said, shaking her head, giving her a smile. "It's not really a fun topic to discuss. More importantly, from the smell of it, it would be a waste if you didn't bring those cookies to your grandfather while they were still hot. You had better hurry, Sonoko."

"Y-yeah..." Slowly nodding her head, an unconvinced expression on her face, Sonoko opened her mouth to say something, before quickly stopping herself. Taking in and letting out a breath, she gave Sera a bright smile of her own this time. "Then, I'll see you next time, Sera-chan! Maybe I'll bring something for you and your mother to enjoy for once. I still haven't repaid you for the tea and scones that we had the other day."

"You don't have to repay me for something like that." Sera told her, her usual smile surfacing on her face once more, as she shook her head. "But I'll look forward to it."

With those words exchanged, Sonoko once more made her way down to the forest path, to her uncle's house, her conversation with Sera troubling her all the while. Once more, unbidden, her mother's words of warning floated to the surface. Perhaps she shouldn't have taken them so literally.

Wolves could be many things, but above all others, they were always liars.

She couldn't help but wonder if that in and of itself, were a lie.

It wasn't the only time that she ran into the young man, however, and every time she did from then on, without fail, he would ask her if she met anyone in the forest. She wasn't sure if he had bought her lies, or if he was seeing right through her- but either way, she wasn't going to give him anything. On the days that he spoke to her, she wouldn't get to see Sera, something that dampened even the joy that the coming spring brought, as flowers bloomed, and baby birds could be heard joining their parents in song. It was no longer cold enough to need a jacket, but it was the perfect season for the rather cute red beret she had bought the other day.

Finally, when her curiosity got the best of her, Sonoko asked Sera the question that had been on her mind ever since the man had spoken to her the first time. "Did something happen to your eldest brother?"

With a sad smile, it almost seemed as if Sera wasn't going to answer her for a few moments- before she closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. "He passed away." She told her simply. "For the longest time, I couldn't believe it myself. I thought he was still out there somewhere, alive and well. But in the end, I had to come and accept the truth that he wasn't going to come back home again. I think mother took it harder than I did, even though she had seemed to resign herself to the chance that it might happen one of these days long ago."

"I'm sorry." The apology was the first thing off of Sonoko's lips, a deep drown set on her features. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was just a accident." Sera said after a moment. "Or at the very least, that's what everyone says. I don't know about that myself. My brother was a hunter, you see, just like that Amuro-san. One day, when they were searching for a wolf that had been causing problems in a forest far distant from this one, Amuro-san's weapon discharged by mistake, killing him. I never believed it, though."

"That's horrible!" Sonoko gasped, her eyes going wide, even as the mention of wolves tingled in the back of her mind. "But why would Amuro-san do such a thing?" Pausing for a moment, she shuffled her feet slightly. "At least, from the way you put it, you made it sound like you think it was done on purpose."

"I can't say." Sera said, shaking her head, a hard look of her own surfacing in her eyes. It wasn't off putting, not like the look that she saw in Amuro's own. "Although I have some theories." There was a pause there, the hard look giving way to a considering one, as if there was something she was debating saying. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you all this time, Sonoko."

"If it's what I think it is, there's no need to tell me something like that." Sonoko said simply, not halting her stride, nor glancing back at the one behind her. "I've already figured something like that out a long time ago. But Sera-chan is Sera-chan, right?" She asked, finally turning around on her heel, flashing her a wide grin. "That's why it doesn't matter to me."

"Sonoko..." Sera blinked a little, before a bright smile crossed her face, hurrying her own pace so that she caught up with her. "What's with that? You make me feel like I've been worrying all this time for nothing. I didn't realize that you were that kind of girl!"

"There's plenty of things that you don't know about me!" Sonoko stated plainly, firmly nodding her head, her basket shifting on her arm as she planted her hands on her hips. "What of your family?"

"All of us, except for mother. The gene was from our father." Sera said, shaking her head. "We've lived here in the forest for as long as I can remember, alongside my middle brother. My eldest brother had already left to explore the world when I was born, so I only got to see him every now and again. There used to be a lot more of us here back then. They've since moved to other places, for one reason or another. Those like us who just wanted to live in peace."

"I see." Sonoko said simply, nodding her head. "Do you think Amuro-san killed your brother because he found out? He is a hunter, after all." She asked.

"I don't know. I have several theories, and that's certainly one of them, but I wonder if that really would be enough. I only know that my eldest brother wouldn't have been killed that easily. There might be other circumstances behind it, for all I know." Sera said, shaking her head. "He wasn't that sort of person, after all. He was amazing, you know! I really looked up to him when I was a child. I still do, really."

Once she got to speaking properly about her eldest brother, it seemed that the fountain of words wouldn't stop- not that Sonoko minded all that much. In the past, Sera had never spoken of herself all that much, beyond a few vague mentions of things here and there, so having her open up to her like this was both refreshing and interesting. And the expression her face took on as she spoke on him- it was one that she hadn't seen before, and it made her heart dance all the more.

Perhaps this was what her mother had meant by spiriting away. Somewhere along the line, perhaps even at the very start, Sera had taken her heart away somewhere. She certainly didn't mind though- she could do whatever it was that she wanted with it. She doubted that any harm would come to it, so long as it was in her hands. If one day the day came that she realized what it was that she held, then...

Well, if even she didn't realize it on her own, Sonoko would make her realize it. If there was one thing that she had learned from her own friends, it was the fact that even the brightest of people could be amazingly dense about certain things.

"I'm amazed that you haven't tried to confront him, though." Sonoko observed after a moment. "He might have killed your brother, right? If that's the case, he has to get what's coming to him! That's murder, _murder_!"

"Well, that's true." Sera said after a moment. "But there's something that's always been troubling me, since the very start. It's made him difficult to approach. Something in his scent..."

When she inquired as to what that could be, Sera had merely shaken her head, apologizing to her, for she didn't have the answer to that. With such thoughts still fresh in her mind, she wound her way back down the path from her uncle's house, stopping in her tracks the moment she caught a figure illuminated by the lamplight. She had run into him many times when she headed into the forest, but never when she came back from it, and yet, here he was.

Honestly, it almost seemed as if he had been waiting for her.

"So then, young miss," Amuro began, that same cold smile on his lips as he always wore- but there was something else to the glint of his eyes underneath the moonlight. She didn't like it either. "...did you perhaps run into anyone on your walk today?"

"No, not today either." Sonoko said simply, shaking her head. "Other than you, of course. Perhaps your old friend's family has already moved on, otherwise I'm sure you would have found them by now."

"No, they're still here." Amuro said simply, taking a step forward, shifting the bag that he wore slung over one arm. "I know that much. And I know that you know where they are, don't you?"

"I'm afraid that I have _no idea_ what it is that you mean." Sonoko said simply, taking two steps forward, narrowing her eyes when he blocked her path without so much of a word. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wish that Ran were here, even as she drew out what courage she had- using bravado to fill in where she was lacking in it. "Will you please excuse me? I've dealt with your strange questions thus far without complainant, but you're being _quite_ rude!"

"Do pardon me. I hate to be rude." Although he smiled at her, he didn't move an inch from where he was. "But I've put up with your lies until now. This is exactly why you shouldn't hang around that type, young miss. You'll pick up their habit of lying before you know it. You can't trust anything that they tell you."

"And couldn't the same be said of _you_?" Sonoko asked, sending a rather sharp gaze up towards him, even as her grip on her now empty basket tightened. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"If I'm anything like they are, I was only made so against my will." Casting aside any illusion of pleasantries, Amuro's voice took on a sharp tone, that cold gaze surfacing once more in his eyes. "I'll ask you one more time, young miss. Have you met anyone else while in these woods?"

"And I'll say it again." Sonoko said sharply, gathering up all of her courage for everything it was worth. " _No_."

For a long, tense moment, Sonoko felt as if she were about to find out firsthand what it actually was that he was carrying within that guitar case. But after the moment passed, Amuro took a step back, letting out a long sigh. Whatever deep grudge he had against Sera's eldest brother, one that extended even to her family, it wasn't one that he wanted to get normal people mixed up in. Wordlessly, he stepped aside, letting her go.

After that night, she only saw Sera once more. With an apology that she had ended up getting so involved, Sera told her that she and her mother would be leaving the forest soon. As much as she wanted to plead with her to stay, to not go away from her, she knew that couldn't say something that selfish. Instead, she only asked her to contact her when she found a new place to stay.

With a promise on her lips that she would, Sera disappeared once more into the forest.

As late spring gave way into summer, Sonoko couldn't help but check the mail every day for any sign of a letter from her. As the days passed, and the seasons changed once more, there was the smallest part of her that began to wonder if her mother wasn't right- if wolves really were liars after all. Still, in spite of such feelings, she decided to put her faith in the promise that she had made with one, and wait.

When the chill of late fall came once more, there it was. Tucked inside a bright red envelope, was a single letter, with no return address on it. She had never seen Sera's writing before, and yet she felt she knew it at once, as she carefully accepted the letter from her mother, who cast a curious look upon her as she saw the overjoyed expression that crossed her own face.

Clutching the letter tight to her chest, Sonoko wasted no time in dating upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her, before she opened it up. It somehow had the same aroma as freshly baked bread, she couldn't help but think to herself, a soft smile crossing her face as she opened up the letter, eyes scanning the very first line.

_To a certain little red riding hood._


	4. High Up in the Castle of Thorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long, long time ago, there was a beast who lived in an isolated castle- or perhaps it was merely a lonely young man?

When her parents separated from one another at the young age of seven, Mouri Ran thought there would never be a day when she returned to the sleepy village in which she had been raised. It had been a tearful farewell to the friends she had there, not knowing when or if she would ever be able to see them again. She loved her mother, but if she had her say in the matter, she would have instead stayed behind with her father, so as to not leave behind those whom she had come to hold close to her heart.

Still, she was only a child, and therefore had no choice. Promising only that she would do her best to return to the village one day, when she was older, she got into the carriage with her mother, and put the place that she had been born in behind her. Letters were exchanged, of course- but it wasn't quite the same as seeing them in person. Having to wait a month at best, for a response from her good friend Sonoko, who never ceased writing her, made the letters that she _did_ get from her all the more cherished, but nevertheless, she always found herself wanting more.

To her great sorrow, within the span of a year, she lost contact with one of the friends she had held so dear to her.

She knew that her mother hadn't done it to be cruel- and that she needed her own space from her father. She wrote to him too, sometimes, and although he could be of the bumbling sort, he never failed to respond to her. Certainly, some of the letters were written while he was drunk, and didn't make very much sense- but those would soon be followed by another letter, in which he apologized for sending something while in such a state.

When his letters suddenly stopped coming, she couldn't help but worry. Even though her mother told her to forget about it, she knew that this wasn't like him at all- and fearing that something might have happened to him, she sent word to Sonoko, inquiring if everything was alright with her father.

It was an anxious month as she waited for a response from her old friend, and when she finally got the letter that she had been hoping for, she almost didn't know what to make of it at first. It sounded almost a bit nonsensical- she had been expecting that maybe he had gotten into an accident or had perhaps fallen ill. But rather than either of those things, Sonoko's letter detailed a rather mysterious thing- that her father had been taken away by the beast, and nobody had seen him since.

Naturally, she had no idea as to what that could have meant. Reflecting back on her own childhood, she couldn't recall any such thing. There had been no 'beast' in her village, certainly not one who abducted people and made them vanish into thin air. There were wolves and bears if one ventured far enough away from the human establishments, but if that were the case, why wouldn't have Sonoko had just said so? Even if she were perhaps trying to spare her feelings, hating to be the bearer of tragic news, she didn't think that was quite right.

It was in that moment that she made up her mind- that she would return to the village in which she had been born, ten long years after she had left it. Convincing her mother wasn't easy, but eventually, her pleas left her with no other choice but to agree- with, of course, a promise that she would return once she sorted the matter out. With such a promise quickly made, she provided Ran with what she would need for her journey back to the village, and she scrambled to send off a letter to Sonoko, hoping that it would make it there before her.

And perhaps, while she was there, she could discover the reason why her _other_ childhood friend had ceased to respond to her letters after some time. It had left a wound in her heart, one larger than she was willing to admit- and even if he never responded to her, she still sent him a new letter every month without fail, in hopes that one day, Shinichi would respond to her again.

When she returned, for a moment, it almost felt as if she had never truly left. Not much had changed in her absence- and even if her friend had grown since last she saw her, she was still very much the same as she remembered her to be. Her letter had arrived shortly before she had, leaving Sonoko in great anticipation of her return, even considering the circumstances of it.

"Ran!" With a great cry, Sonoko wrapped her arms around her old friend, a bright smile on her face. "It really is you, isn't it? I thought I would never be able to meet you again!"

"I thought so as well, for a long while." Ran told her in turn, taking her hands, feeling a surge of happiness at this reunion. She was naturally still worried for her father, but she couldn't deny that for this second in time, the only emotion that she carried inside of her was joy. "But I've returned, Sonoko. Though as for how long I'll be staying, I cannot say."

"It's about your father, is it not?" Sonoko asked, a frown gracing her features, the joy that had been expressed so clearly on them not even moments ago seeming to vanish without a trace. "You said as much in your letter. But Ran, I really must beg of you- this isn't a matter in which you should look into. Even for you, it is simply too dangerous. I would hate to see you return to me, only to disappear once again, this time for good."

"Is this supposed beast really that dangerous?" Ran asked, a frown now gracing her own face. "I remember nothing of such a monster from my own childhood here- did something happen while I was away?"

"He just suddenly appeared one day." Sonoko told her, her expression becoming graver the longer they dwelt on the subject. "No one is quite certain where he came from, or what it is that he wants. The only thing we know of him is his monstrous appearance, and that ever since then, people have begun to vanish from time to time. Surely they must have been taken by the beast, for there could be no other explanation as to why they would have vanished. At first we thought your father had merely gotten lost in the forest, and we all set out to search for him, but..."

Shaking her head, her grip on Ran's hands tightened, as if pleading with her once more to give up. "All we found was his horse, and footprints in the mud that we knew belonged to the beast. We tried to trace them, to find out where they had come from, but we failed in that endeavor."

"That can't be!" Letting out a shocked gasp, Ran nearly wrenched her hands from that of her friends, her face growing pale. To think that such a fate had befallen her father- even if she hadn't seen him in person in years, she nevertheless cared a great deal for him. "Is such a thing really true, Sonoko?"

"It's as true as I know it to be." Sonoko told her, shaking her head. "If we knew where the beast resided, perhaps we could have set out to rescue your father, were he still alive, but in all these years, we have never been able to find the place. I'm sorry, Ran. But I think perhaps it would be for the best if you just let him go."

"I can't do that so easily!" Ran told her, shaking her head. Certainly, the notion of a beast was something that gave her a fright- but there was simply no way that she could merely leave her father to such a fate. Besides, she was no mere peasant girl- even if her opponent were some kind of beast, if they had done something to cause harm to someone important to her, she would never forgive them! "Please, Sonoko, I beg of you, at least guide me to the place that my father disappeared from. If I cannot find a trace of him after a month, I will resign, but until that time, please indulge my selfishness."

"I was afraid that you would say that." Closing her eyes, Sonoko merely let out a long sigh. "But I suppose it cannot be helped." Opening her eyes, she once more took her friend's hands, holding them tight in her own. "You wouldn't be the Ran that I know if you didn't try and leap into action. Perhaps you will be able to succeed where others have failed."

"Thank you, Sonoko." Feeling her heart grow somewhat more easy at her words, Ran smiled at her. "Ah, but there was one more thing that I wanted to inquire with you about. Do you perhaps know the reason why Shinichi suddenly stopped sending letters to me?"

The expression on her friend's face was one that once more set a weight to Ran's heart, as she knew even without words what surely must have happened.

"I'm sorry, Ran. Shinichi was the first one."  
________________________________________________________________________

Every morning, without fail, Ran would enter the forest, making her way to the location where her father's horse had been discovered. And every evening, without fail, she would return just before the sun set, having found nothing- no trace of her father, nor any trace of the beast that he had been said to have taken him. As days passed, and turned into weeks, she felt the end of her promised month approaching far too quickly.

If Shinichi were here, she found herself thinking, he probably would have been able to find her father easily. Even when he was still young, he was always fascinated by mysteries, and always trying to find a chance to show off of his deductive skills. Even as a child, he was quite bright, and even though she had never admitted it out loud, sometimes embarrassed by his actions, she had always been impressed by that part of him.

But just as Sonoko had said, Shinichi was one of the first people who had likely been taken by the beast, not even a year after she had moved away. To think that something like that had happened... it was almost more than her heart could bear. She could only imagine how his parents felt, as they had moved away themselves not all that long after their son vanished, claiming that they wanted some space away from the places that contained so many memories of him.

All this time, she had been sending letters to an empty house, with no one around to receive them. She had gone there, on the evening of her first day there, but hadn't been able to bring herself to go inside. She didn't want to find what she was sure to- a pile of letters, stretching back nine years, just inside the door, slowly turning to rubbish. Unlike the rest of the town, it had changed, and quite considerably too- nine years without anyone living there had begun to transform it, turning it into a place that was no longer a home, but merely an empty shell of a house.

To think that such a thing had happened in her absence, and that she had been none the wiser. Why hadn't anyone told her? Why hadn't she thought to ask? She knew that the answer was because she had still been a child, but even so... even so, she couldn't stand knowing that something like that had happened, and that she had remained blissfully unaware of it all this time, even sometimes resenting Shinichi for cutting ties with her.

It was thoughts of Shinichi, really, that found her in this place, on the last morning of her last day there. Tomorrow, she would return the long journey back to her mother, just as she had promised. She didn't want to abandon her father, but she had given her word, and it wasn't in her nature to take it back. And as much as she hated to admit it, if she had already spent a month looking for him with no luck, then it was possible that she never would find him.

That it was already too late.

Perhaps that is why her feet brought her here, instead of to the location where his horse had been found, where she had started from every morning. In her heart, she had probably already given up hope of finding any clues- she was no great detective, she was simply Mouri Ran, a girl who was desperate to find her father, who was filled with regrets about leaving him behind. Perhaps if she had been with him, then...

It was impossible to say. Maybe she would have been the one snatched away by the beast instead, and it would have been her father tirelessly searching the forest for her, day after day.

"This place hasn't changed either." The words escaped her almost as a whisper, as she gazed up at the aging structure before her. A tower, covered in thorny vines, that looked as if it had stood here for ages, and had the very forest grow around it. There was more to the building than just a tower- but she and Shinichi had never been able to find a safe way in to the rest of the castle that it was attached to. Only the tower was accessible, and it was sealed off from the inside by a pile of rubble in front of the door. With their own strength, they had never been able to move it.

It was a secret place for the two of them- not even Sonoko knew about it. A place of memories for the both of them. Perhaps it was that kind of thinking that drew her here, finding it so easily in spite of being away for ten long years. Her feet remembered the path, and had carried her there almost before she had even realized it. Placing a hand on the handle of the door, a soft smile crossed her lips, faintly recalling the first time that they had discovered this place, and had decided to keep it to themselves. It had been Shinichi's idea, really, for she had wanted to share it with Sonoko- but he had made her promise to keep it between the two of them.

She might as well go in. She didn't expect to find anything here, but perhaps the sight of the place that she held so close to her heart would ease it's ache somewhat.

She really hadn't thought to find anything.

It took her a moment to realize it, overcome with the feeling that something was wrong from the very moment that she set her foot in through the door. Something was wrong indeed- the rubble that they could never move from in front of the door that lead deeper into the rest of the castle, the only pathway that linked to the rest of the building, had been moved aside, as if shoved to the ground by some kind of great force.

In the darkness of the tower room, she could barely make anything out. Returning to her horse and fetching a lantern, she lit up it's flame, using it to illuminate the rubble that had once blocked the doorway, a mixture of wood and stone. As she crouched down, carefully studying it, she felt a cold surge of fear run through her, and drew back, her breath all but catching in her throat.

A great force had moved this rubble indeed- and judging by the massive claw marks on the chunks of wood, she suspected that she knew what it was. Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, she slowly turned her lantern towards the door, now wide open, almost as if it were beckoning her to come further inside. Some part of her warned her to go back to the village, to tell the others what she had found, and to return with them in numbers, for if her hunch was true, then she had most likely found the lair of the very beast that she had been searching for.

But why _here_?

Even for a beast, wouldn't there have been easier places to take refuge? Why here, in this place of her memories? After stealing away the person that she had shared them with, why had it come here, as if it were mocking her, laughing at her bonds?

Swallowing hard, she felt her grip on her lantern tighten. It was bright outside, but within the castle walls, there was a darkness so deep, that it felt as if it would swallow her up, and never let her go. Faintly, Sonoko's warning to her came once more to mind, and it was nearly enough to make her turn back.

Even so, she took that first step. A second one soon followed it, joined by a third, a fourth, until she was making her way down the pathway that lead from the tower to the castle proper, feeling her heart pounding loudly in her chest with every step that she took. With every step, something within her screamed to go back, to return to town, to forget what she had found here- but she knew that she couldn't do that.

If there really _was_ a beast living here that had stolen away not one, but two people who were precious to her, then she could never forgive it. Even if it was a beast, even such things had weakness, she found herself thinking, her hand resting on the knife which she had strapped to her belt, in the very event that she should cross paths with the monster. It was a bit funny, really- ever since she was young, such stories filled her with fear, but now, as she traced it's very steps, she felt that same fear fading away from her, replaced by determination.

If there really _was_ a beast here, then even if she couldn't get back the ones that she loved, then at the very least, she would ensure that nobody else had to lose a loved one to it. Her father, if he were truly already one, would be the last.

And so, she found herself in the castle, the very same place that she and Shinichi had always yearned to explore. Perhaps he had visited this place, and had ended up crossing paths with the beast that had taken up residence here, she found herself thinking. A mere child wouldn't have been able to put up much of a fight, nor would they have been able to run away fast enough- but she was no child.

Once in the castle proper, light filtered in through the great, but ruined windows that lined the walls. She could see where it might have been splendid once, but it had fallen into ruin, long before a monster had taken up residence here. Keeping her lantern lit, should she end up in a place where there was only darkness again, Ran strode forward, keeping her wits about her, listening for any sign of the beast that lived here.

Perhaps it was out.

Or perhaps, she thought, catching a faint sound just barely in her range of hearing, it was not.

Resting her hand on the hilt of her knife, she followed the source of the sound, leading her further, deeper into the castle. Although the flame of her lantern flickered, it never went out, lighting her way even when the path once more grew dark. If she met the beast here, in the darkness, she knew that she would be at a disadvantage, so more than ever, she kept her wits about her.

But it was not in the dark that she found the beast, but in the light. Perhaps that in and of itself should have told her something. But from the moment that she spotted it, she found her breath once more catching in her throat, wondering how such a thing could possibly exist- though it stood on two legs, that was where it's resemblance to a human ended- or so she thought.

It was reading.

Out of all the things she had expected to find it doing, reading wasn't one of them. To think that it even could... even as she felt her eyes narrow, wondering at such a thing, she took another step forward, keeping her steps soft. It was curious indeed, but not quite curious enough to cause her determination to waver. Setting down her lantern without a sound, she carefully watched the beast's back- it hadn't yet noticed her, so focused it was on what it was reading. The longer that she could keep the element of surprise, the better.

As she took a silent step forward, her grip tight on the hilt of her knife, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, though she knew at first not why. It was only when she spared it a glance that she realized why it had called to her, because it was something that she had every reason to recognize.

There was no mistaking her own handwriting.

Her letters. Her letters to _Shinichi_. Letters that she had written, unknowing of the fact that there was no longer anyone to receive them. Carefully picking up one with a trembling hand, she realized that it was the very same one that she had sent him two months prior to coming here, detailing her mother's promotion, and her own acceptance in the city guard.

Why did the...?

As she slowly turned her head, letter still in one hand, she finally caught sight of what it had been so intently reading. Another letter, one of her very own, one that she had sent a month prior to coming here, the last one that she had sent before she had set off. A letter that there should be no one to read.

So _why_?

There nothing more than the way it stood that was human about the beast- or so she had thought. Perhaps no one else but her would recognize the expression that it wore as a smile, but she knew it at once- she knew it so painfully well, that her very bones ached at the sight of it, leading her to an impossible conclusion, one that washed the determination that she had held within her away, as it no longer had a use, nor a place to go.

There was no need to kill a beast that was, in fact, not a beast.

She wasn't certain which fell first- the knife, or the letter. But the knife certainly made the more noise. Noise enough to draw the beast away from it's letter, to draw to it's full height, towering over her, even with the distance still between them.

But what she felt was not fear, nor was it determination, as there was no longer need for either such emotions. In their place, confusion, regret, heartache- these sorts of things took their place, as the reality sunk into her bones, as understanding dawned across her.

How could have such a thing happened in her absence? How could such a thing a be possible? He had always had a knack for getting himself in trouble, but even so, for something like this to have happened... But even if she hadn't recognized that expression on it's face, she still knew those eyes at once- a blue so familiar to her, that it nearly made her heart ache anew. All the more so as it too, recognized her, turning it's head away from her, as if unable to face her gaze.

"Shinichi." The name escaped her before she even realized she was saying it, and she found herself taking a step forward. One that was followed by a second, a third, a fourth. "It's you, isn't it?"

Could he even speak? She didn't know what had happened, but she knew within her heart that she wasn't wrong. Those eyes... she knew those eyes. There was no way that she could mistake them as belonging to anyone else in the world, even if they were trapped within a face that held nothing human in it.

"Go back."

Ah, so he could.

"Go back, Ran." The voice that came out wasn't anything close to what she remembered, a deep, guttural growl laced into every word. "There's no one here by that name anymore."

"Of course there is!" She found herself insisting, taking another step forward, drawing closer to him even as he drew further away from her. "What happened to you, Shinichi? This appearance of yours... is this the real reason that you disappeared?"

"It doesn't matter what happened to me." The beast, the one that she knew now beyond a shadow of doubt was Shinichi, told her, still not meeting her eyes. For all that he towered over her, he used none of that to intimidate her, instead almost seeming as if he wanted to curl up, to make himself as small as possible. "There's nothing that can be done about it anyways."

" _Tell me_." Ran insisted again, taking another step forward. Thoughts of her father weren't forgotten- but if the beast had really taken him, and that beast really was Shinichi... then chances were, he was very likely to be alive after all. The other missing people as well, were without a doubt, not quite missing either. His exterior had changed, but she knew that inside of that, was the very same boy that she had left behind, ten years ago. "I won't leave until you do, Shinichi."

Silence hung between them at her words, before Shinichi merely let out a long sigh, one that was so powerful, it caused strands of her hair to dance as it blew against her. "I crossed a foul witch." He said simply, narrowing his eyes. "And as a result, this is what became of me."

"Why didn't you tell anyone!?" Ran asked.

"How could I tell anyone anything, with this kind of appearance?" Shinichi told her, turning on his heel- which was more of a large paw, really, now that she got a closer look at it. "Only on the night of the full moon can I return to my true self, and even then, I'm robbed of my words. It's all I can do to just..."

He stopped there, but she didn't need him to finish the sentence to know what he meant. Last night had been the night of a full moon, and in his hands today was the letter that she had written. Returning to his old home every month simply to fetch a letter- even if he could never write any back.

So he had never really forgotten her at all, and had been thinking of her all this time, even after his body had been twisted into such a shape. It would seem that she was just as important to him as he was to her- even now, even with this kind of appearance, she couldn't possibly imagine abandoning him, no matter how much he wanted her to.

"Your father is fine." Shinichi said after a moment, not sparing so much as a look back at her. "He had been injured in an accident when I found him, and has been recovering since then. I was planning on setting him lose once he regained consciousness. I didn't think it would stretch on for this long. I will guide you to where he is, so take him with you when you go. And never come back here."

"I'll take him with me, but I _will_ come back here." Ran told him, reaching out to touch what was no longer really so much as hand. Those massive claws which had left marks that had at first sent a surge of fear through her no longer held such a feeling, even as she felt him flinch underneath her touch. "There's no way I can leave you alone, Shinichi. I already have, for far too long."

"If you're hoping to return me to human, it's far too late for that." As much as it seemed that he wanted to, in the end, he didn't pull away from her touch, even though it would have been so simple for him to do. "The deadline to break the curse passed a month ago, on my birthday. For as long as I live, I can never return to being human again."

"Something like that..." Although it was painful to hear such words, Ran nevertheless shook her head, smiling up towards him, wishing that he would turn back around once more. There was barely anything human left to him, but even so, more and more, she felt as if she could recognize the precious, precious childhood friend that she had left behind in his changed face. "It doesn't matter, Shinichi."

"You're still you, after all. So much so that I could recognize you the moment I saw your eyes." She told him, shaking her head. In that instant, everything that she had been feeling up until that point had been washed away as if it had never existed, understanding dawning on her in it's place. "Even if we can't break your curse, that's no reason for you to isolate yourself from everyone else. Even with that appearance, I think they'll understand."

After all, she had, even though she had been filled with such dark thoughts just before.

"Come with me, Shinichi. Back to where everyone else is." Walking around him so that she could face him head on, for everything that he was now, Ran locked eyes with him. "And this time, I'll stay here."

"I thought you would be more frightened of a beast." Shinichi found himself admitting after a moment, doubt still clear in his voice. He had heard her coming, in the end- even though she had quieted her steps so that no human could hear them, he was no longer such a thing, and could make them out clearly. He knew what kind of reputation the beast had earned for itself in the village, and he knew what people would think when they found his tracks, such as they were now.

If she didn't recognize him, he wasn't about to stop her from doing anything that she felt that she had to. Maybe it would have even been for the best, he found himself thinking- for even though he had clung to his humanity all this time, in hopes of one day being able to break the curse that had been unjustly cast on him, one day he knew that it was like to leave him entirely.

Perhaps it would have been for the best if things ended long before that.

He hadn't imagined that she would ever recognize him, nor would he blame her, not as he was now. He'd long since lost the ability to recognize himself, and resented mirrors for the truths they told.

And yet, she had.

"I would be!" Ran told him, even as she reached out, taking what was no longer a hand in one of her own, smiling up at him. "But I don't see a beast around here anywhere, Shinichi! Just a lonely prince, in a lonely castle."

"I'm no prince, Ran." Shinichi couldn't help but snort, in spite of himself, in spite of everything, watching as strands of Ran's hair danced in his very breath.

"Well, I know _that_." Ran told him, rolling her eyes. "I doubt being cooped up by yourself for nine long years has improved your manners any. A prince would be much more polite when a lady guest came calling for him!"

With a bright smile that was almost like dawn breaking, so beautiful that he felt as if his very heart was going to melt, Shinichi closed his eyes, for a moment, unable to bear the sight of it. She had grown up so much since they had last met, but even so, she hadn't changed any- whereas he had changed far too much. He had never expected that the two of them would ever be able to reunite, and that even if they did, that she would see him as nothing more than one of the monsters from her storybooks, the ones that she so feared.

Their bond ran deeper than he could have ever imagined.

"You'll really stay here, even if I can never break this curse, for so long as I live?" Shinichi found himself asking. "I told you before, but the deadline that I was given to break it has already passed."

"That's fine. Even if you can't break the curse, it's fine." Ran told him. "Shinichi is Shinichi. That's what matters the most, right? And if anyone says otherwise, the one they'll have to deal with is me!"

"So come back home, Shinichi. With me."


	5. The Snow White Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The witch princess was able to obtain everything she desired- everything but one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I'm unexpectedly back with a new addition to this collection! I did mention that it might be periodically updated if I thought of anything more, so here we have the first of those updates! This one, obviously, derives it's inspiration from Snow White, which is perhaps the most classic and well known of all fairy tales, right up there with Cinderella (so very fitting we're revisiting Magic Kaito characters for this, then).
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy!

Ever since she was born, she had been gifted with unparalleled charm. Everything that she wanted, she got, no matter what it was. As she grew older, she began to realize the source of this charm, that there was magic, old and forgotten, running in her blood. Some say that once she discovered that, there was no turning back from the course that life had set her on.

Others, those who knew her best, thought a bit differently. All she needed to set her back on the right path was the correct person- someone who existed in this world that could resist her charms. Someone who could see past the exterior of the selfish witch princess, whose ambitions grew all the greater with each passing year.

As it turned out, _both_ parties were wrong. For the one who truly fell in love with Koizumi Akako was not a dashing prince, resistant to her charms in every way, but a kindly princess, who fell for them so completely and utterly that she never thought so much as twice about trusting her, until the very end.

But that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves.

As most witches are wont to have, the child who had grown into a fine woman by now, had grand ambitions. All the more grand given her status as a princess, one who found herself set to inherit a country that was small, weak, and without much note. Though she was already nearly in complete control of her kingdom, in spite of having never formally inherited the throne, she was never satisfied with that. This would not do, she found herself thinking quite often- such a place as this isn't fit for someone like me. For someone of her charm and beauty, a much grander stage was required.

And a grander stage she did find, for as fate would have it, there was one to the very north of her own. A huge, sprawling kingdom, with the kind of power that could reshape the very world if it so chose. In this, the kingdom of Ekoda, there was but one prince, a young man of her own age, set to inherit the kingdom that his mother, the queen, held in trust for him until his twentieth birthday. At once, Akako knew that she _had_ to have him.

Not, of course, because she particularly wanted him, nor because she found him attractive. What she wanted was not the person himself, but rather, what he represented- money, prestige, and the power that went with it. For a woman of her charms, it would be a simple matter- because there was no man on the earth who could resist them.

Or so she thought.

Her first meeting with Kuroba Kaito hardly went as planned at all. In fact, in spite of her taking great pains to look her best, so that she could truly ensnare his heart within one fell swoop, he barely even paid any attention to her. While the eyes of all the other men at the ball followed her around the hall, his did not stray, not in the least.

Needless to say, when the witch princess returned home, she was in quite the sour mood. All but storming to her chambers, she threw the grand doors open, and began to ponder the reasons as to why this had happened. Perhaps he owned some kind of charm, some kind of trinket, that prevented her own from working on him.

Surely that was it. In that case, the only thing that she had to do was steal it, and his heart would be hers to have. Of course, a princess, even one who was also a witch, would never do something so crass as to steal from a fellow royal, dirtying her hands with work that wasn't suited for her.

Thankfully, she needn't do so. There were any number of men willing to do anything that she asked, without question, and it wasn't long before she found one who was willing to go. Under the cover of darkness, he broke into the prince's chambers, and searched for where this protective talisman might be, only to return empty handed, informing his princess that there was nothing of the sort there.

That was impossible, she thought to herself.

But sure enough, the next time that she found herself called to Ekoda, on a bit of business in her foolish father's stead, she found herself facing the same results. Those gathered at the hall of games couldn't help but flock to her- expect the young prince, who was very annoyed that his current game of cards was being interrupted by a young woman who looked as if she had no intention of joining them.

In all of her years, Akako had never had so much as a harsh word spoken to her. Even though the prince's were rather mild, simply spoken out of annoyance, they stung like no other.

Returning to her home country with such a feeling in her chest, once again, she found herself wondering what it was. It was then that she decided to turn to her own craft- surely something that she could not figure out on her own, her beloved mirror could show her, clear and true as the day itself.

"He is in love with another, your majesty, and deeply so."

The words stung, in a way she did not understand. Anger- and perhaps even a hint of jealousy, a strange, unfamiliar emotion to someone who never had any need for such a feeling.

"Who?" Akako demanded, all but slamming the butt of her staff onto the floor, the sound ringing out through the great hall. "Who could it be that has smitten him so that he pays no attention to me? Surely she must be a great beauty, if she is to rival me."

"She is Nakamori Aoko, a simple kitchen girl, working at the palace."

There was nothing that could have prepared her for the answer. It stung like the worst kind of insult, fury broiling up inside of her that she had not felt before. For if there was one thing that the young witch princess was not accustomed to, it was not getting what she wanted. Perhaps if she was, she would have not made the decision she had at that moment, in haste and anger alike.

For the girl whose image was reflected in the mirror was no great beauty, though it would a distant stretch to call the girl ugly. _Plain_ , perhaps, with an unruly raven's nest of hair, such was her own outstanding feature. Certainly no great beauty that should ensnare a man's heart to the point where even a witch's charms could not sway him.

She had _lost_ \- to a simple kitchen girl at that.

Even in her anger, finding a man that would follow her at her word was not hard- even though she requested the most ghastly of things. Head to the neighboring kingdom of Ekoda, she told the man. Capture the girl named Nakamori Aoko, and bring me her heart. Toss her remains in the forest to be feasted upon by the animals there.

With the nuisance gone, surely, the prince would only have eyes for her.

If the world was determined to add insult to injury, when the man returned from his gruesome errand, she quickly came to realize that not only had the young kitchen girl ensnared the prince's heart- but the man she had sent to kill her as well. For what he presented to her was no human heart, but rather, the heart of a pig, freshly slain. To make matters worse, Nakamori Aoko still served in the palace, as if no one had even so much as tried to approach her with harmful intents in mind.

When pressed, the man confessed that he simply could not bring himself to kill the girl, no matter how much he loved his princess, no matter how loyal he was to her. This was simply something that he could not do.

The anger in her heart, which had nearly cooled after she had begun to realize the weight of her request, lit up once more within her heart. If a servant could not do it, then she would simply have to take the matter into her _own_ hands. As much as she loathed dirtying them, sometimes such methods were necessary.

And thus, it was to Ekoda Kingdom that she went again, though this time, not for the sake of it's prince. Although she couldn't say that the idea of visiting the palace's kitchens appealed to her all that much, it wasn't as if she had much of a choice. A simple kitchen girl would not be found within the areas of the palace in which the nobles usually roamed, thus, in order to meet her, Akako must instead come to her.

The first time she saw her, and not just through the glass of an enchanted mirror, she couldn't even speak to her. It wasn't that her words caught in her throat, or anything as preposterous as that- but rather, it was the one who was with her at the time that stopped her in her tracks. She wouldn't have thought that the prince himself would visit a place such as this, for she herself very rarely ventured into the kitchens of her own palace, but nevertheless, it was where she found him.

What's more, rather than seeming like a love struck fool, the two of them almost appeared to be quarreling. The simple kitchen girl was speaking to him in such an informal fashion, as if she thought herself his equal- and the prince himself made no such objections to such casual behavior, a thought which baffled Akako to her core.

With no other choice, Akako made her leave for the time being. There would be plenty of other chances, and there was no need to rush such things. Nothing good ever came of it.

The second time that she saw her, Nakamori Aoko gave off a much different impression from the fiery, informal girl who had spoken with the prince so casually. Though she had been uncertain as to what would happen when they finally met, the girl tripping over her own words at the sudden visit from a foreign royal was not one of them, however otherwise accustomed Akako was to such reactions.

She had to admit, it cast the girl a bit in her favor- but not enough to make her reconsider her dark plans. In order to fulfill her ambitions, Nakamori Aoko needed to disappear from this world.

"I hope that I am not disturbing you at such a late hour, young miss." Akako spoke with ease, just barely keeping the amused smirk off her face as she watched the way the girl before her flustered at her every word. "But I have a small request, as it might be."

For a moment, Aoko remained silent, as if she were still trying to process this visit- before she very quickly composed herself again. "Yes, of course, your highness. What is it that Aoko can do for you?"

"I'm afraid I'm not feeling quite so well this evening, so if my meal could perhaps be delivered straight to my room tonight, I would rather appreciate it." Akako told her, the smile that crossed her face being one that she had long practiced. "Perhaps I could even trouble you to bring it to me yourself, miss."

"A-Aoko?" Aoko stammered, clearly not expecting such a request. Bowing her head, she gathered herself together once more, not wanting the rest of the palace staff to lose face because of her flustered blundering- she usually wasn't anywhere near this bad. "Yes, of course, your highness. Aoko will gladly bring your meal to you around dinnertime this evening."

"Very good." Brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Akako continued to smile at her, burying her true feelings deep down for the moment. "Well then, that is all. Good day to you, young miss."

With that, Akako sharply turned on her heel, her expression quickly becoming that of a deep frown as she made her way back towards her chambers. What on earth was it that the prince saw in such a girl, to the point where even her charms would not work on him? She'd charmed many a man before who had been in love with another, what was it about this one that made her so special?

Well, it mattered not. After tonight, she would no longer be in this world.

So when the knock came on her door, just as day turned into evening, Akako couldn't help but smile in a far more genuine fashion. Not bothering rising to her feet, she simply flipped a page of the book that she had been perusing to pass the time, raising her voice. "Come in."

Without a word, the door to her chamber opened up, and a silver cart was rolled inside. She cast a brief glance down towards it, before her gaze flickered upwards to the one delivering it. Only then did she rise to her feet, setting aside her book. As she suspected, the girl's gaze was drifting around the room, which she had made sure to appoint quite nicely with all sorts of trinkets that she had brought from home just for the sake of this plan.

"Are you interested?" Those were the first words that she spoke- for any girl, no matter how plain, would doubtlessly be interested in the treasures that she had on display.

"Ah, no!" Aoko quickly blurted out, a crimson color tinting her cheeks. "It's only just that Aoko has never been in a noblewoman's quarters before, much less those belonging to a princess. She does beg your pardon, and is here to inform you that she has brought your meal, as requested."

"Very good." Akako said, nodding her head. "And there's no shame in it. Rather, for going out of your way to fulfill my request, I'd like to give you something. A token of my appreciation, you might say."

"You need do no such thing!" Aoko told her, quickly shaking her head. "Aoko is merely doing what was asked of her. She can promise you that it's no trouble at all."

"Even so, I insist." Akako told her simply, making her way over towards her vanity, carefully picking up a simple comb that she had placed there. It was a stark red color, a pattern of gold standing out vividly against the color. "It is but a simple trinket, but please, take it. I do believe I heard your name was Aoko, is that not correct?"

"Ah, yes." Slowly nodding her head, Aoko glanced down towards the comb, uncertain if she should take it or not. "That's correct, your highness. And of course, Aoko knows about you as well! You are the princess of our neighboring kingdom. There is not a soul around here who does not know of you."

"I'm flattered." Akako told her. "I hope it's all good things that are said about me."

"Oh, of course!" Aoko told her, eagerly nodding her head. "They say that your beauty is such that there is no man in the world that can resist their eyes following you. Now that Aoko has had the chance to speak with you in person, she can see that is very much the truth."

Blinking slightly, as if not expecting such genuine praise from the one that she had set out to kill, Akako almost hesitated for a moment. But the darkness that had gathered in her heart was not such that it would be dispelled so easily, and instead, she held out the comb once again.

"I must thank you kindly indeed then, for such words. Please," carefully reaching out, Akako took Aoko's hand, the slightest of frowns crossing her face as her own soft hands connected with the calloused ones of the kitchen girl. Placing the red comb in Aoko's hand, she folded the girl's fingers over it, before pulling her own away. "...do take this."

"W-well, if you truly insist, your highness, then Aoko will accept this kind gift of yours." Clutching it close to her chest, a warm smile danced across the girl's face, one that made something within Akako's own heart dance strangely. "T-then, she will come by once more in an hour to bring the plates back to the kitchen. Until then, your highness."

"Yes, until then." Akako said simply, her frown lingering as she watched the girl leave. When the door shut behind her, she placed a hand over her own heart, pondering on what this strange sensation inside of it might be. It was like something that she had never felt before- and yet strangely, she did not dislike it.

Well, it would not matter in the long run. The very moment Aoko ran the comb through her hair, a death-like sleep would take hold of her, from which there would be no waking. From there, she would snatch the heart of the surely grieving prince, and before long, would take his kingdom in her own hands.

And yet, strangely, she was having second thoughts. The witch princess had never had such a feeling before either, always quite certain of the path that she must take, never once second guessing herself for as long as he had been alive.

Unlike the strange feeling that had brewed within her chest a moment ago, this was a feeling that she decided that she very much disliked indeed.

* * *

The attempt, as it was, did not go quite as planned.

For while Aoko did indeed run the comb through her hair, and while she did indeed fall to it's poison, in accordance to what Akako had anticipated- it was what came afterwards that she had not seen through. Never would she have thought that the prince would go so far to break the curse that had been cast on a mere kitchen girl, however fond he was of her, nor did she ever suspect that he would be able to see it as one in the first place.

In the end, Aoko had been roused from her death-like sleep, none the wiser. But she was the only one- for the prince himself had cast his eyes towards Akako at last, but no adoration filled them, as she was accustomed to. Suspicion, rather- the most vile of expressions ever to be sent her way, and one that made the fire that had been growing somewhat cold in her heart alight anew.

It mattered not- his heart was needed for her ambitions, and one way or another, she would get it. The only flaw in her previous plan, in so far as she had seen it, was the fact that she had not gone far enough with her plot. The poisoned comb was not enough- something much more dire was required in order to do away with the one who interfered with her ambitions.

As she glanced out her window, to where it overlooked the palace's gardens, she knew just what was needed for that. With this, she would ensure that Nakamori Aoko would never awaken from the death-like slumber, and that everything she desired would be hers to obtain.

And yet, there were still doubts that lingered, that strange, unpleasant feeling that she had come to not enjoy. They only blossomed further inside of her when Aoko didn't question her invitation to met her within the palace gardens, in spite of the fact that she had collapsed right after using the present that she had given her. If she had been told anything by the prince, she had chosen to ignore it, for reasons that Akako frankly couldn't fathom.

And too, the other strange feeling, the one that was warm within her chest, grew as well. It was naive not to doubt her, and yet, for some reason, she couldn't find it in her to laugh at such naivety. It was easy to tell herself that it was just because it was for the good of her plan, but in truth, some small part of her already knew that wasn't the case.

"Was there something you needed Aoko for you, your highness?" Aoko asked, an uncertain look on her face- not from any doubt, but merely from wondering why it was that a foreign princess was being so seemingly kind to her.

"Calling me by name is quite alright, Nakamori-san." Akako told her after a minute, coming to a stop in front of the tree that she had seen from her window. Placing a hand against the pouch that hung from her waist, she felt the small vial that she had tucked within. "I heard you the other day, you know, with Kuroba-san. You seem to be quite close with the prince."

"Ah, that's..." A hint of laughter escaped from her then, the sound of it sending the strange, warm feeling through Akako's chest anew. "We grew up together, the two of us, that's all. Perhaps it's a bit presumptuous because of our differences in status, but Aoko supposes he's something like a childhood friend to her."

"I see. Childhood friends." Akako said simply, closing her eyes for a moment. No wonder they held bonds that were so close, then. "It sounds like a lovely thing."

"Did you not have any?" There was sympathy written into her voice- at least, until she realized what she had asked, and who she had asked it over, and quickly covered her mouth. "Ah, no, Aoko is certain that you did, your highness! She's very sorry for saying such a thing!"

"No, it's quite alright." Akako said, shaking her head. "But rather than speak of such things," she told her, standing on her toes, carefully plucking two apples from the tree above, "...why don't the both of us have a bite to eat? These have been tempting me from my window ever since I arrived here."

"Is that why you invited Aoko here?" Aoko blinked. "She was certain that you merely needed something from her."

"Yes, this is the only reason. I merely wanted some company." Akako told her, pulling the small vial out from her pouch, she uncorked it with one hand. Using the shadow of her back to conceal her actions, she dripped it on one of the apples, the bright red fruit ever so briefly turning a sickly green, before it returned to it's normal appearance. With that done, she returned the vial to her pouch.

"If you wanted some company, there's countless of noble men here who would-" Aoko began, before Akako cut her off, turning on her heel, offering her one of the two apples that she had plucked.

"No, not them." Akako said simply, shaking her head. "I've no interest in any of them. The one I want to speak with right now is you, Nakamori-san."

"With Aoko?" Aoko blinked, carefully accepting the apple that she had been offered. "Why?"

"Because you seem interesting, that's why." Akako said simply, taking a step back. "Ever since I spotted you arguing with the prince in the kitchens, you caught my interest. I was curious to know what kind of girl could speak to the ruler of her kingdom in such a fashion."

"Ah, that's-!" For a moment, her face turned as red as the apple she held, and for a moment, Akako couldn't help but think it was strangely charming. Once more, that strange warm feeling rose in her chest- and at the same time, so did the heavy, cold one, all the more so.

The question that it brought to her lips escaped her almost before she was aware that she had asked it. "Rather, I should ask you why you came with me today, Nakamori-san. I'm certain the prince regards me with some due suspicion after your previous... _accident_."

"Ah, that?" Aoko asked, a smile spreading across her face. "That's not your fault, your highness! There's no way that such a kind person as yourself would ever do such a thing. Going so far as to offering such a fine comb to someone as plain as Aoko... there's no way you're the sort of person who would ever do anyone any harm."

"Besides..." Trailing off a little, for a moment, Aoko looked as if she were hesitating to speak- before she swallowed back any of her fears, and said what was on her mind anyways. "...whenever Aoko spotted you here before, you somehow always looked a bit lonely. She couldn't help but be a bit worried about you because of that."

"Eh?" As if she hadn't expected the words, Akako blinked. "What do you mean by that, Nakamori-san?"

"It sounds strange, Aoko supposes." Aoko admitted, a sheepish smile crossing her face. "But somehow, even when you're surrounded by suitors somehow, you don't seem very happy. But that's just what Aoko thinks! If it isn't actually true, you can just ignore her!"

Lonely? Her? How foolish. She was the one who was loved by all, who could get whatever she wanted with just a twitch of her finger. To think that someone like herself could ever possibly be _lonely_ -

Ah.

It was true though, wasn't it?

Ever since she was a child, she had been able to charm those around her, without even so much as trying. While she reaped the rewards it offered her, there was one thing that it had never truly brought her- genuine companionship. Those around her were drawn to her not because of any trait that she possessed, but rather, because of her charm. Should it ever fade, so too, would they drift away from her.

Rather than deal with it, she had simply built up a wall around herself instead. She didn't need to feel such things in the first place, so it would be best if she buried them deep within herself, in some far distant place they could never return from. If she did that, she would never truly need anyone- only servants, ready to answer her beck and call. Perhaps in reality, the witch princess who had everything, in fact had nothing at all.

That warm feeling in her chest- and the heavy feeling contained within it as well... those two things were connected, deeply so.

"Ah, sorry. Maybe Aoko was getting a bit ahead of herself there." Aoko noted, a nervous hint of laughter escaping from her, as she watched the princess fall silent. Not knowing what else to do, she turned to the apple in her hand, opening up her mouth to take a bite from it-

" _Wait a moment!_ "

And with those words, she found the very same apple that had been offered to her just moments ago, snatched away from her. By the very same person who had offered it to her, nevertheless.

"Eh... your highness?" Aoko blinked, for a moment, overcome with the fear that she had said something wrong.

"Ah..." Pausing for a long moment, staring almost dumbfounded at the apple in her hand, Akako's cheeks slowly started to turn a faint shade of red as she realized what it was that she had done. It wasn't like her at all to lose her composure in such a fashion. Furthermore, she had just put a stop to her own plan, under her own power. What had she been thinking?

No, rather, what _had_ she been thinking, all this time?

No wonder all the witches in legends had been cast as villains- and she had nearly gone down the same route as them. Clutching the poisoned apple tight in her hand, Akako drew in a long breath, regaining her composure once more.

"Pardon me, Nakamori-san. But I only just noticed that the apple I gave you appears to be a bit rotten." Akako told her, a smile crossing her face that was more genuine than anything she had shown to the girl before. "I'll fetch you a new one right away."

Perhaps what she needed was in fact, not a prince, nor a strong, powerful kingdom. What she needed wasn't a man who had been ensnared by her charm, holding an artificial, manufactured love in his heart- a man for whom she did not hold any feelings at all for herself. No, perhaps what she truly needed was the one thing that she had never been able to obtain- real love.

And perhaps the one to help her find it, would be none other than the simple kitchen maid, who had stirred something long since forgotten deep within her heart.

The poisoned apple, deprived of it's only purpose, dropped to the ground beside her, never to be thought of again.


End file.
